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1 1 

i   s 


OUR 

NATIVE   FERNS 

AND 

THEIR    ALLIES 


Synoptical  Descriptions  of  the  American 
Pteridophyta  North  of  Mexico 


LUCIEN    MARCUS    UNDERWOOD 


SIXTH    EDITION,    REVISED 


NEW   YORK 

HENRY   HOLT   AND   COMPANY 
1900 


COPYRIGHT,  1888,  1900, 

BY 

HENRY  HOLT  &  CO 


EGBERT  DEUMMOND,  PRINTER,  NEW  TOEK. 


QK 


PREFACE. 

WHEN  the  writer  issued  this  little  book  in  1880  as  the 
honest  effort  of  a  novice  to  provide  for  the  study  of  our  ferns 
a  convenient  handbook  by  means  of  which  they  might  be 
identified,  he  had  no  idea  that  the  first  edition  would  be 
exhausted  within  a  year,  and  much  less  that  a  sixth  edition 
would  ever  be  called  for.  Though  frequently  urged  to 
extend  its  scope,  he  has  felt  that  if,  with  all  the  traces  of  its 
early  imperfections  of  plan,  there  is  still  a  demand  for  such  a 
handbook,  it  is  best  to  leave  it  in  its  original  form,  with  only 
such  changes  as  our  changed  conceptions  of  structures, 
relationships,  and  definition  of  species  demand.  No.t  only 
is  this  preservation  of  the  original  plan  in  harmony  with  the 
feeling  of  sentiment,  but  it  seems  the  more  desirable  since  the 
writer  is  preparing  a  monograph  of  all  the  North  American 
Ferns  (including  those  of  the  West  Indies  and  the  continent 
as  far  as  the  Isthmus),  and  in  this  more  elaborate  work  he 
hopes  from  a  study  of  a  wider  range  of  forms  to  include 
many  more  general  matters  that  our  own  limited  fern  flora, 
though  quite  diverse,  do  not  furnish  a  sufficient  basis  for 
inclusion  here,  and  others  still  that  would  be  out  of  place  in 
an  elementary  manual. 

Changes  in  this  edition  are  mostly  verbal  and  such  as  arise 
from  the  modifications  of  nomenclature  or  the  changed 
ideas  of  homologies  and  relations  of  structures.  The  chapter 
on  nomenclature  has  been  wholly  rewritten  and  extended, 
particularly  because  the  present  edition  more  than  any  other 
contributes  to  a  modification  of  generic  names. 

v 


473907 


VI  PREFA  CE. 

In  the  systematic  part  the  sequence  has  also  been  modified, 
bringing  the  simpler  eusporangiate  forms  first  and  introduc- 
ing the  desirable  distinction  between  orders  and  families 
which  botanists  have  too  long  confused. 

The  number  of  species  is  considerably  increased,  owing,  in 
part  to  new  discoveries  and  in  part  to  the  seeming  necessity 
of  reestablishing  the  earlier  and  in  many  cases  clearer  views 
of  the  earlier  writers  on  ferns,  many  of  whose  species  have 
been  "reduced  to  synonymy  by  the  English  (Kew)  school  of 
fern  writers  whose  dictum  has  hitherto  been  followed  by 
American  fern  students.  The  number  of  genera  has  also 
been  increased  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  earlier  and 
more  scientific  fern  students. 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY,  June,  1900. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION ix 

CHAPTER     I.     HAUNTS  AND  HABITS  OF  FERNS i 

II.     THE  ORGANS  OF  THE  GROWING  FERN 8 

III.  FRUCTIFICATION  IN  FERNS 10 

IV.  GERMINATION  OF  FERN  SPORES 19 

V.     FERN  STRUCTURE 24 

VI.     THE  FERN  ALLIES 28 

VII.     CLASSIFICATION  AND  NOMENCLATURE 41 

VIII.     THE  FERN'S  PLACE  IN  NATURE 54 

IX.     DISTRIBUTION  IN  TIME  AND  SPACE 60 

OUR   NATIVE    PTERIDOPHYTA. 
ORDER    FILICALES. 

FAMILY  i.     OPHIOGLOSSACE^E 66 

2.  HYMENOPHYLLACE^E 74 

3.  SCHIZ/EACE;E 75 

4.  OSMUNDACE/E 77 

5.  CERATQPTERIDACE,*: 78 

6.  POLYPOUIACE^: 78 

7.  MARSILIACE^E 123 

8.  SALVINIACE^E 125 

ORDER   EQUISETALES. 

FAMILY  i.     EQUISETACE.E 126 

ORDER    LYCOPODIALES. 

FAMILY  i.     LYCOPODIACE^E 130 

2.  SELAGINELLACE^E 137 

3.  ISCETACE^; 142 

ABBREVIATIONS 150 

GLOSSARY  AND  INDEX 151 

vii 


INTRODUCTION. 


IN  the  entire  vegetable  world  there  are  probably  no  forms  of 
growth  that  attract  more  general  notice  than  the  Ferns.  Deli- 
cate in  foliage,  they  are  sought  for  cultivation  in  conservatories 
and  Wardian  cases,  and  when  dried  and  pressed  add  to  the 
culture  of  many  a  domestic  circle  by  serving  as  household  deco- 
rations. They  furnish  to  botanists  a  broad  and  inviting  field 
for  investigation,  and  he  who  examines  their  more  minute  struc- 
ture with  the  microscope  will  find  deeper  and  still  more  myste- 
rious relations  than  those  revealed  to  the  unaided  eye.  Ferns 
thus  appeal  to  the  scientific  element  of  man's  nature  as  well  as 
to  the  aesthetic,  and  while  they  highly  gratify  the  taste,  they 
furnish  food  for  the  intellect  in  a  like  degree. 

The  Fern  allies  have  also  played  their  appointed  part  in  the 
domestic  and  decorative  economy  of  this  and  other  generations. 
The  scouring-rushes  served  our  ancestors  for  keeping  white  their 
floors  and  wooden -ware  in  the  days  when  carpets  were  a  luxury. 
The  trailing  stems  of  various  species  of  Lycopodium  have  long 
been  valued  for  holiday  decorations  ;  while  their  burning  spores 
have  flashed  in  triumphal  processions,  and  have  added  their 
glow  to  the  fervor  of  political  campaigns. 

In  olden  time  the  obscure  fructification  of  the  common  brake 
led  to  many  superstitious  ideas  among  the  common  people,  and 
the  older  poets  have  woven  these  popular  notions  into  our  litera- 
ture. Butler  tells  in  Hudibras  of  bugbears  so  often  created  by 
mankind  : 

"  That  spring  like  fern,  that  infant  weed, 
Equivocally  without  seed, 
And  have  no  possible  foundation 
But  merely  in  th'  imagination." 


x  INTRODUCTION. 

Shakespeare  only  reflects  a  prevalent  belief  of  his  time  when 
he  says : 

"  We  have  the  receipt  of  fern  seed  ;  we  walk  invisible." 

Others  allude  to  the  falling  of  the  seed  on  the  anniver- 
sary night  of  the  birth  of  John  the  Baptist.  The  old 
simplers  with  their  lively  imagination  were  impressed  by  the 
fancied  resemblances  of  some  parts  of  fern  growth  to  various 
organs  of  the  human  body,  and  introduced  them  into  their 
system  of  specifics.  Traces  of  their  influence  still  remain  in 
the  names  of  some  of  our  common  ferns,  as  spleenwort  and 
maidenhair. 

To  form  a  correct  understanding  of  ferns  we  must  study  the 
ferns  themselves  as  well  as  the  text-book,  as  it  is  only  by  direct 
contact  with  nature  that  we  gain  definite  and  satisfactory  informa- 
tion. The  text-book  is  useful  only  in  giving  directions  how  to 
investigate.  To  understand  thoroughly  an  animal  we  must  study 
its  habits  in  its  native  haunts.  To  know  its  structure  and  posi- 
tion in  the  animal  kingdom  we  must  carefully  dissect  a  large 
number  of  specimens,  and  study  the  development  of  .the  individ- 
ual from  its  beginning.  In  like  manner,  to  understand  fully  a 
fern  we  must  search  where  nature  has  planted  it,  watch  it  as  it  un- 
coils from  the  bud,  matures,  produces  its  fruit,  and  finally  returns 
to  the  earth  ;  examine  it  with  needles  and  lenses,  and  discover 
its  minute  structure  and  its  life-history.  These  pages,  which 
aim  to  give  an  outline  of  the  forms  of  fern  growth,  the  methods 
of  fruiting,  the  germination  or  growth  from  the  spore,  and 
finally  the  more  minute  structure  of  the  entire  plant,  can  only 
be  thoroughly  understood  by  taking  the  ferns  in  hand  and 
studying  them  in  connection  with  the  text. 

Let  no  one  imagine  that  the  study  of  ferns  will  be  an  easy 
one.  Patient  application  and  careful  observation  are  essential 
to  success,  yet  he  who  becomes  once  interested  in  the  work 
will  find  a  subject  that  deepens  in  interest  with  every  step,  and 
even  becomes  enchanting  as  he  seeks  to  determine  the  mysteri- 
ous processes  of  fern  development  and  the  marvels  of  fern 
structure. 


OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND  THEIR  ALLIES. 


CHAPTER   I. 
HAUNTS   AND   HABITS   OF   FERNS. 

Our  outward  life  requires  them  not, — 

Then  wherefore  had  they  birth  ? 
To  minister  delight  to  man, 

To  beautify  the  earth. 

— MARY  HOWITT. 

1.  General  Characters. — Our  native  ferns  comprise  plants 
varying  in  height  from  less  than  an  inch  to  six  or  seven  feet,  or 
even  more.  Some  are  stout  and  fleshy,  others  are  delicate  and 
even  filmy,  but  most  are  herbaceous,  resembling  ordinary 
flowering  plants  in  the  texture  of  their  foliage.  While  most 
would  be  recognized  as  ferns  by  even  a  novice,  a  few  differ  so 
widely  from  the  ordinary  typical  forms  that  to  an  unskilled  ob- 
server they  would  scarcely  be  considered  as  bearing  any  resem- 
blance to  ferns  whatever.  The  fronds  of  one  of  our  Florida 
species  resemble  narrow  blades  of  grass,  and  the  fertile  spikes 
ot  another  from  New  Jersey  might  be  mistaken  for  a  diminutive 
species  of  sedge.  A  third  from  Alabama  would,  perhaps,  be 
called  a  moss  by  the  inexperienced,  while  the  "  Hartford  fern," 
found  from  New  England  to  Kentucky,  has  a  climbing  stem  and 
broad  palmate  leaves. 

When  we  add  to  these  peculiar  forms  of  our  own  country 
those  of  foreign  lands,  and  include  the  immense  tree-ferns  of 
tropical  regions,  we  find  our  early  conception  of  a  fern  inade- 
quate to  cover  this  diversity  of  forms.  Without  attempting  an 
accurate  definition  of  a  fern,  let  it  be  regarded  for  present  pur- 


2  OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

poses  as  a  flowerless  plant,  producing  spores  instead  of  seeds, 
possessing  more  or  less  woody  tissue,  and  having  its  leaves 
coiled  in  the  bud  from  apex  to  base.  After  the  necessary  study 
of  the  structure  of  some  of  our  common  ferns,  we  will  be  able 
to  comprehend  the  more  technical  definition  found  later  in  the 
work. 

2.  Mode  of  Growth. — Ferns  vary  greatly  in  their  method 
of  growth,  yet  each  species  has  a  plan  which,  within  certain 
limits,  is  fixed  and  definite.     Some,  like  the  common   brake, 
have  their  fronds  rising  from  more  or  less  distant  portions  of 
the  creeping  rootstock.     Others,  like  Asplenium  trichomanes, 
are  tufted,  many  fronds  rising  irregularly  in  a  cluster ;  while  still 
others,  like   the   ostrich-fern  (Matteiiccid),  and  .many   shield- 
ferns  (Dryopteris),  grow  in  crowns  or  circles,  the  later  fronds 
continually  rising  within  the  older  ones.     In  the  grape- ferns 
(Botrychium)  the  rootstocks  usually  produce  a  single  frond  each 
season,  the  bud  for  the  succeeding  year  growing  within  the  base 
of  the  common  stalk. 

3.  In  many  there  is  a  tendency  to  dimorphism,  the  fertile 
or  fruit-bearing  fronds  differing  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  from 
the  sterile  ones.     In  a  few  species,  like  the  sensitive-fern  (Ono- 
clea)  and  some  others,  this  is  carried  so  far  that  the  sterile  and 
fertile  fronds  bear  no  resemblance  to  each  other,  and  in  one 
instance  have  been  mistaken  for  different  species,  and  so  de- 
scribed.    Osmunda  cinnamomea,  Woodwardia  areolata,  our  two 
species  of  Cryptogramma,  and  Struthiopteris  offer  further  ex- 
amples of  this  principle  of  growth. 

4.  Variation. — The  same  species  will  often  present  wide 
differences  in  the  size  of  the  fronds.     This  depends  to  some  ex- 
tent on  the  character  of  the  soil  and  the  ordinary  climatic  con- 
ditions.    For  example,  the  lady-fern  (Asplenium  filix-fcemina), 
which  in  ordinary  locations  grows  from  two  to  four  feet  high, 
in  mountainous  regions  is  sometimes  reduced  to  from  three  to 
six  inches,  when  it  forms  the  var.  exile.     In  like  manner  the 
marginal    shield-fern    (Dryopteris  marginalts),  usually  two  or 
three  feet  high,  is  reduced  to  five  inches  when  growing  on  rocky 
cliffs,  and  yet  regularly  produces  fruit.* 

*  Cf.  Bulletin  Torrey  Botanical  Club,  VI.  266  (Oct.  1878). 


HAUNTS  AND  HABITS  OF  FERNS.  3 

5.  In  some  cases  there  is  a  tendency  to  variation  in  size 
that  cannot  be  referred  to  soil  or  climatic  influences.    The  com- 
mon grape-fern   (Botrychium    Virginianunt)    will  be  found  in 
some  localities  to  vary  from  six  inches  to  two  feet  in  height,  all 
well  fruited  and  matured,  and  with  the  extreme  sizes  growing 
within  a  pace  of  each  other  in  the  same  soil  and  with  the  same 
environment.     The   other  species   of  the  same  genus  present 
similar  variations,  and  judging  from  size  and  external  appear- 
ance alone,  a  regular  gradation  of  forms  might  be  arranged  from 
the  most  diminutive  undivided  forms  of  B.  simplex  to  the  larg- 
est of  B.  Virginianion. 

6.  Another  tendency  to  variation  is  noticed  in  the  forking 
of  fronds  either  at  the  summit  or  at  the  ends  of  the  branches. 
The  hart's-tongue  (Phyllttis)   is  frequently  forked  at  the  sum- 
mit, the  walking-leaf  (Camptosorus)  less  commonly,  while  the 
same  tendency  is  noticed  in  various  compound  forms,  as  Asple- 
nium  august  if olium,   Cheilanthes  lanosa,  Gymnopteris   hispida, 
Dennstcedtia,  Pellcza  atropurpurea,  and   others.     Some  of  the 
species  of  Botrychium  show  the  same  tendency,  especially  in 
their  fertile  segments.     It  is  probable  that  all  our  species  will 
be  found  to  fork  under  certain  conditions.     More  definite  in- 
formation is  desirable  with  regard  to  many  species  that  show 
this  tendency,  as  it  doubtless  involves  the  question  of  ancestry 
of  existing  ferns. 

7.  In  those  species  whose  sterile  and  fertile  fronds  are  un- 
like, forms  often  appear  that  are  intermediate  between  the  ster- 
ile and  fertile  fronds,  and  sometimes  even  form  a  graded  series 
from  one  to  the  other.     This  is  especially  true  of  the  sensitive- 
fern  (Onoclea)  and  the  cinnamon- fern  (Osmunda  cinnamomea), 
and  has  frequently  been   the  source  of  so-called  "varieties." 
Whether  this  variation  arises  from  some  peculiarity  of  environ- 
ment, or  from  some  inherent  tendency  to  reversion  toward  an 
older  form,  will   require  more  extended  observation  to  deter- 
mine.    One  of  the  varieties  of  Botrychium  obliqiium  seems  to 
have  been  founded  on  a  condition  which  is  intermediate  in 
structure  between  the  sterile  and  fertile  segments. 

8.  In  a  few  forms  there  is  an  apparent  mimicry,  one  species 
imitating  another  in  foliage  or  method  of  fruiting.     In  the  cin- 
namon-fern just  alluded   to,  which   has    a    cinnamon-colored 


4  OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AXD    THEIR  ALLIES. 

sterile  frond  totally  unlike  the  fertile,  sterile  fronds  will  some- 
times be  found  which  are  fertile  at  the  apex — the  normal  method 
of  fruiting  in  the  royal  flowering-fern  (Osmunda  regalis) ;  and  in 
turn  the  royal  flowering-fern  is  sometimes  fertile  in  the  middle, 
in  imitation  of  Osmunda  Claytontana. 

9.  Time  of  Fruiting. — The  time  of  maturing  fruit  is  dif- 
ferent among  different  species,  and  also  varies  with  geographi- 
cal location  and  proximity  to  tropical  climates.  In  the  Northern 
States  some  species  produce  their  fruit  as  early  as  May  (Osmunda 
cinnamomea),  and  others  as  late  as  September  (Lygodiwri), 
but  the  greater  number  are  best  studied  in  July  and  August. 
In  the  Northeastern  States,  where  the  two  species  of  Filix 
abound  on  limestone  rocks,  F.fragilis  matures  its  spores  and 
withers  in  June  or  July,  while  F.  bulbifera  reaches  its  maturity 
only  in  August  or  September.  In  semi-tropical  climates,  like 
Southern  California  and  the  Gulf  States,  the  time  of  fruiting  i^ 
often  earlier,  sometimes  occurring  in  February  or  March.  Some 
fronds  are  killed  by  the  early  frosts,  while  others,  like  the  Christ- 
mas-fern, are  evergreen,  and  may  be  gathered  in  midwinter. 

1  O.  Local  Distribution. — Ferns  are  largely  dependent  for 
successful  growth  on  the  amount  of  warmth,  moisture,  and 
shade  to  which  they  are  subjected,  and  we  would  naturally  ex- 
pect to  find  them  reaching  a  maximum  in  size  and  abundance  in 
warm  swamps  or  shady  marshes.  While  this  is  in  general  true, 
we  nevertheless  find  many  species  thriving  only  in  rocky  places, 
thrusting  their  roots  into  the  crevices  of  the  rocks  with  little 
earth  for  their  nourishment,  and  many  times  exposed  to  the 
scorching  rays  of  the  sun.  Of  necessity,  such  species  are  of 
comparatively  small  size,  and  likely  to  be  protected  in  some 
way  against  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  provided  with  means  to 
retain  their  moisture  in  times  of  drought.  Others  still  are 
found  in  wet,  rocky  ravines,  often  where  moistened  by  the  spray 
of  cascades  or  waterfalls,  and  consequently  have  no  such  pro- 
vision against  the  heat  of  an  extended  summer.  Certain  others 
thrive  in  open  fields  that  are  comparatively  dry  and  unshaded. 
One  species  of  Southern  Florida  is  aquatic,  having  the  sterile 
fronds  floating  in  shallow  water.  A  few  species  are  epiphytic, 
or  grow  on  other  plants,  some  being  found  on  tree-trunks  to 
the  height  of  150  or  200  feet! 


HAUNTS  AND  HABITS  OF  FERNS.  5 

So,  while  moisture,  warmth,  and  shade  in  abundance  are  the 
climatic  conditions  essential  to  promote  luxuriant  fern  growth, 
it  can  and  does  continue  when  any  or  all  these  conditions  are 
reduced  to  a  minimum. 

1  1 .  Ferns  may  then  be  sought  in  any  of  the  following  situa- 
tions, and  it  will  be  seen  that  each  situation  has  its  charac- 
teristic species  : 

A.  Wet  swamps  or  marshes  with  or  without  abundant  shade. 

B.  Rich  woods,  more  or  less  moist. 

C.  Uncultivated  open  places  and  dry  hillsides. 

D.  Moist,  rocky  ravines  or  rocky  places  not  subject  to  sum- 
mer drought. 

E.  Exposed  rocky  cliffs. 

F.  Standing  water. 

G.  Growing  on  other  plants.     (Epiphytic.) 

1  2.  In  the  first  location  mentioned  above,  we  may  find  the 
chain- ferns  (  Woodivardia),  many  of  the  spleen  worts  (Asplem'um}, 
a  few  of  the  shield-ferns  (Dryoptcrts),\.\\&  flowering-ferns(C>.y;/ztt«- 
da),  as  well  as  the  genera  Acrostichtun,  Onoclea,  etc.  These  in- 
clude some  of  our  largest  and  coarsest  ferns.  A  few  more  deli- 
cate in  structure  are  also  found  here,  notably  the  dainty  Phegop- 
teris  dryopteris. 

\  3.  In  the  second  we  find  a  few  spleenworts,  most  of  the 
shield-ferns,  the  beech-ferns  (Phegopteris),  most  of  the  grape- 
ferns  (Botrychium),  the  maidenhair  (Adiantum),  Dennst&diiu, 
and  some  others.  In  this  situation  we  find  the  finest  develop- 
ment of  foliage  and  the  greatest  artistic  finish  among  all  the  ferns. 

14.  In  uncultivated  places  and  on  rocky  hillsides  we  often 
find  the  common  bracken  or  brake  (Ptertdium),  and  also  the 
lady-fern  (Asplenium  filix-fcemtnd),  though  these  are  by  no 
means  confined  to  these  locations,  the  latter  growing  quite  fre- 
quently in  moist  woods,  and  even  in  cold,  wet  swamps.  Many 
other  ferns  are  found  occasionally  in  openings  of  the  forest  or 
recent  clearings,  where  they  maintain  a  sickly  existence,  some- 
times for  a  series  of  years.  In  such  locations  ferns  often  be- 
come contracted  and  abnormal  in  growth,  and  take  on  a  faded 
yellow  hue  from  their  exposure  to  the  open  sunshine. 

1  5.  In  moist  ravines  and  on  rocky  banks  the  bladder-ferns 
(Ft'ltx)  may  be  found,  with  the  peculiar  walking-leaf  (Camfi- 


6  OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

tosorus),  the  rare  hart's-tongue  (Phyllitis)*  and  many  of  the 
smaller  spleenworts.  The  long,  pendent  fronds  of  our  Filix 
bulbifera  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  our  natural  ravines,  and 
often  serve  to  conceal  the  uncouth  rocks,  or  at  least  draw  the 
attention  to  that  which  is  more  delicate  and  artistic.  On 
dripping  rocks,  or  where  the  sides  of  ravines  are  kept  con- 
tinually moist  by  the  spray  of  waterfalls,  such  delicate  pellucid 
ferns  as  the  filmy-fern  (JTrickomanes)  and  one  Cryptogramma 
may  be  sought.  There  seems  to  be  a  direct  connection  between 
the  environment  and  the  texture  of  the  fern.  The  last  two 
mentioned  grow  in  very  damp  situations,  and  are  pellucid  and 
almost  membranous.  The  Filix  in  somewhat  drier  situations 
is  thinly  herbaceous,  while  Asplenium  trichomanes  and  Camp- 
tosorus,  requiring  less  moisture,  are  more  firm,  and  form  the 
transition  to  the  next  group. 

1  6.  On  dry  cliffs  we  may  look  for  the  various  species  of 
Woodsia,  the  cloak-ferns  (Notholcena),  the  lip-ferns  (Chetlanthes), 
and  the  cliff-brakes  (Pellcea).  Many  of  these  are  firm  and  even 
leathery  in  texture,  and  others  are  thickly  covered  on  one  or 
both  sides  with  tangled  hair  or  scales,  fitting  them  to  survive 
long  periods  of  drought. 

1  7.  Only  one  of  our  native  species  is  strictly  aquatic,  the 
anomalous  Ceratopteris  thalictroidcs  found  in  Southern  Florida, 
though  Acrostichuin  aureum  is  often  found  with  its  rhizoma 
rising  from  the  water  of  salt  marshes.  Osmunda  regalis  is  oc- 
casionally found  in  standing  water  several  inches  deep,  though 
this  is  not  usual. 

1  8.  Among  the  epiphytic  ferns  are  several  species  of  Poly- 
podium,  P.  polypodioides,  P.  Scouleri,  and  Phlebodium,  the  last 
always  being  associated  with  the  cabbage-palmetto  (Sabal pal- 
metto). Vittaria,  Cheilogramma,  and  Nephrolepis  are  also  of 
this  class,  and  are  frequently  pendent  from  the  same  plant, 
though  occasionally  found  on  other  tree-trunks.  Cheiroglossa 
palmata,  another  peculiar  tropical  fern-ally,  belongs  to  the  same 

*  This  rare  fern  seems  to  show  a  decided  preference  for  limestone  rocks, 
and  thus  far  has  been  found  only  above  the  geological  formation  known  as 
the  Corniferous  limestone.  I  believe  a  thorough  search  for  this  fern  along 
the  outcrops  of  the  formation  in  Central  New  York  and  elsewhere  would  show 
a  wider  distribution  than  is  at  present  attributed  to  this  species. 


HAUNTS  AND   HABITS   OF  FERNS.  J 

list.  Even  in  the  streets  of  Southern  cities,  Polypodium poly- 
podioides  is  often  seen  growing  with  various  mosses  well  up 
on  the  trunks  of  shade-trees.  It  is  only  in  tropical  regions, 
however,  that  epiphytes  are  seen  in  profusion. 

1  9.  These  principles  of  climatic  distribution  are  necessarily 
modified  by  the  geographic  range  of  species,  which  must  be 
considered  in  this  connection.  For  example,  Dryopteris  spinu- 
losa  or  its  varieties  form  the  leading  foliage  ferns  of  Northern 
New  England  and  New  York,  and  Dennstcedtia,  less  common  in 
those  localities,  largely  replaces  them  from  Connecticut  south- 
ward.  This  subject  will  be  more  fully  discussed  in  a  later 
chapter. 

LITERATURE. 

Most  of  the  American  literature  bearing  on  this  subject  is  in 
the  form  of  short  notes  which  have  appeared  from  time  to  time 
in  our  two  botanical  monthlies;*  a  classified  summary  appears 
below : 

HABITS. — Botanical  Gazette,  I,  2  ;  II,  100 ;  in,  82  ;  IV,  140, 177, 
232;  v,  27,  30,  43,  48;  vi,  161,  295;  vn,  86. 

DIMORPHISM. —  Torrey  Bulletin,  vm,  101, 109 ;  ix,  6  ;  xin,  62. 

FORKING  FRONDS. — Botanical  Gazette,  \,  50;  n,  80;  111,39; 
vi,  220;  vm,  242.  —  Torrey  Bulletin,  vil,  26,  85;  IX,  116,  129; 
x,  4. 

RELATIVE  ABUNDANCE  : — 

DAVENPORT  (George  E.).  A  Bit  of  Fern  History.  In 
Botanical  Gazette,  vil,  60-64  (May,  1882). 

CULTIVATION  : — 

JACKSON  (Robert  T.).  Cultivation  of  Native  Ferns.  In 
Garden  and  Forest,  I,  317,  318;  330,  331;  340-342;  352-354 
(Aug.-Sept.  1888). 

ROBINSON  (John).  Ferns  in  their  Homes  and  Ours.  i2mo, 
illustrated.  Salem,  1878.  A  valuable  outline  of  fern  cultiva- 
tion, indispensable  to  those  desiring  to  undertake  the  cultivation 
of  ferns  either  in  conservatories  or  Wardian  cases. 

SMITH  (John).  Ferns,  British  and  Foreign,  8vo.  Lon- 
don, 1879. 

*  Bulletin  Torrey  Botanical  Club  (Columbia  University,  New  York  City) 
and  the  Botanical  Gazette  (University  of  Chicago).  Many  notes  in  recent 
years  have  appeared  in  The  Fern  Bulletin  (Binghamton,  X.  Y.). 


8  OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

CHAPTER  II. 
THE  ORGANS  OF  THE  GROWING   FERN. 

Pour  bien  savoir  une  chose,  il  faut  en  savoir  les  details. 

— LA  ROCHEFOUCAULD. 

20.  EVERY  one  familiar  with  the  forest  and  its   products 
must  have  seen  the  young  ferns  unrolling  from  the  bud  in  spring 
and  early  summer.     It  will  be  noticed  that  the  fronds  are  coiled 
from  the  apex  to  the  base,  and  form  crosiers,  so  called  from  their 
resemblance  to  the  head  of  a  bishop's  staff.     This  method  of 
vernation  is  called  circinate,  and  is  rarely  found  except  among 
ferns.     In  the  grape-ferns  and  adder-tongues  the  vernation  is 
straight  or  merely  inclined,  thus  approximating  that  of  ordinary 
flowering  plants. 

2 1 .  Rootstock. — Ferns   usually   spring    from   an   under- 
ground  stem   called   the  rootstock.      This   may  be  simple  or 
branched,  smooth  or  scaly,  horizontal,  oblique,  or  even  vertical. 
In  some  ferns  it  is  fine  and  hairlike,  while  in  others  it  is  very 
large  and  stout.     In  some  cases  the  rootstock  creeps  at  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground  and  even  rises  above  it,  as  in  the  variety  of 
Dryopteris  contermina  which     grows  in  Florida.     In  the  tree 
ferns  of  warmer  climates  it  often  forms  a  trunk  fifty  feet  high, 
bearing  the  fronds  at  the  summit,  when  it  takes  the  name  of 
caudex. 

22.  Frond. — The  aerial   portion  consists  essentially  of  a 
leaf-stalk  and  blade;   the  former  is  technically  called  the  stipe, 
and  the  latter  the  frond.     Though  these  are  usually  distinct 
from  each  other  in  appearance,  the  stipe  is  sometimes  wanting, 
and  in  others  no  distinction  can  be  made  between  them.     Both 
stipe  and  frond,  or  either  one,  may  be  glabrous  (smooth),  pubes- 
cent (softly  hairy),  hairy,  woolly,  or  scaly ;  when  the  scales  are 
small  and  somewhat  appressed,  the  surface  is  said  to  be  squa- 
mous.      The   careful    discrimination    of    these    hairy   or  scaly 
appendages  becomes  a  matter  of  importance  in  distinguishing 
many  of  the  species  of  Cheilanthes.     In  a  few  of  our  native  ferns 


THE   ORGANS  OF   THE   GROWING  FERN.  9 

the  under  surface  is  covered  with  a  white  or  yellow  powder 
bearing  some  resemblance  to  flour  or  corn  starch.  For  this 
reason  a  surface  of  this  character  is  called  farinaceous.  Such  is 
the  California  gold-fern  or  "golden  back"  (Gymnopteris  trian- 
gitlaris),  and  several  of  the  cloak-ferns  (Notholczna),  and  such 
are  the  various  gold  and  silver  ferns  of  conservatories,  including 
some  of  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  in  the  world. 

23.  The  frond  may  be  simple,  when  it  consists  of  a  single 
undivided    leaf,  as   in    Phyllitis   or  Camptosorus ;  or  compound, 
when  it  is  divided  into  segments.     The  exquisite  delicacy  and 
the  extent  to  which  this  dividing  is  carried  in  some  ferns  deter- 
mines largely  their  aesthetic  value. 

The  continuation  of  the  stipe  through  a  simple  frond  is  called 
the  midvein  ;  through  a  compound  frond  is  called  the  rachis, 
and  is  further  distinguished  as  primary  when  the  frond  is  much 
compounded.  A  frond  is  entire  when  the  margin  forms  an 
unbroken  line;  when  so  cut  as  to  form  lobes  extending  half 
way  or  more  to  the  midvein  it  is  called  pinnatifid ;  when  these 
incisions  extend  fully  to  the  midvein  the  frond  is  said  to  be 
simply  pinnate,  and  the  divisions  are  called  pinnce.  When  the 
pinnae  are  cut  into  lobes  the  frond  is  bipinnatifid  and  the  lobes 
are  called  segments,  and  when  these  extend  to  the  secondary 
midveins  it  is  bipinnate  and  the  divisions  are  called  pinnules. 
The  secondary  midvein  then  becomes  a  secondary  rachis.  In 
like  manner  we  may  have  ferns  that  are  tripinnatifid  and  tripin- 
nate,  quadripinnatifid  and  quadripinnate.  The  last  lobes  are 
designated  ultimate  segments,  and  the  last  complete  divisions 
ultimate  pinnules.  All  these  various  forms  from  entire  to  quad- 
ripinnate are  abundantly  represented  among  our  native  ferns. 

24.  In  some  pinnate  fronds,  as  in  the  oak-fern  {Phegopteris 
dryopteris),  the  lower  pair  of   pinnae    is  greatly  enlarged  and 
more  compound  than  those  above,  so  that  the  stipe  appears  to 
form  three  branches  bearing  similar  and  nearly  equal  portions. 
Fronds  of  this  character  are  usually  triangular  or  pentagonal  in 
outline,  and  this  method  of  branching  is  called  ternate.     It  will 
be  readily  seen  that  this  is  merely  a  modified  form  of  the  ordi- 
nary pinnate  frond.     Throughout  the  domain  of  nature  there  is 
infinite  variety  of  form  and  structure,  and  at  the  same  time  unity 
in  plan  and  conformity  to  a  few  generalized  types. 


10        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

25.  Venation. — The  method  of  veining  admits  of  great 
variation,  often  serving  to  distinguish  species,  and  more  especi- 
ally the  sections  of  the  various  genera.  In  some  ferns,  like  most 
shield-ferns  (Z?ry^/^r«), the  veins  are  free — that  is,  arising  from 
either  side  of  the  midvein  they  do  not  unite  with  any  other  vein. 
In  some  of  these  the  vein  is  simple  (not  branched),  in  others 
variously  forked.  In  many  the  veins  repeatedly  anastomose 
or  unite  together,  forming  a  series  of  network  or  areolce.  This 
may  be  somewhat  irregular,  as  in  Onoclea  ;  or  forming  a  single 
row  of  areolse  next  to  the  midvein  and  thence  free  to  the  margin, 
as  in  Woodwardia  Virginica  ;  or  forming  many  uniform  areolae 
by  the  parallel  transverse  veinlets  connecting  the  distinct  and 
parallel  primary  veins,  as  in  Campyloneuron  phyllittdts.  In  case 
the  venation  does  not  appear  when  examined  by  reflected  light, 
it  may  be  brought  out  clearly  by  holding  the  frond  between  the 
observer  and  the  light,  and  then  using  a  lens  if  necessary.  A 
few  fleshy  species  require  dissection  to  show  the  veins. 


CHAPTER   III. 

FRUCTIFICATION   IN   FERNS. 

"  But  on  St.  John's  mysterious  night, 

Sacred  to  many  a  wizard  spell, 
The  hour  when  first  to  human  sight 
Confest,  the  mystic  fern-seed  fell." 

26.  Spores  and  Sporangia.  —  In  the  flowering  plants 
(SPERMAPHYTES)  seeds  are  pro- 
duced by  a  complex  process  in- 
volved in  pollination,  the  growth 
of  the  pollen  tube,  and  the  sexual 
process  which  results  in  the  em- 

FIG.   i.— Enlarged    section   through   a  bryo    of    the    nCW    plant.       The 
sorus  of  PolypoJiu»t  falcatum  Kellogg,  _  3 

showing  the  stalked  sporangia.  Ferns,  on  the  contrary,  produce 

no  flowers.  Instead  of  seeds  developed  from  fertilized  ovules, 
minute  spores  are  produced  asexually,  from  which  new  ferns  are 
developed  by  a  peculiar  process  of  germination  very  unlike  that 


FRUCTIFICATION  IN  FERNS. 


11 


of  flowering  plants.  These  spores  are  collected  in  little  sacs 
known  as  sporangia  or  spore  cases.  The  sporangia  in  the  true 
ferns  (POLYPODIACE.E)  are  collected  in  little  clusters  on  the 
back  of  the  frond,  or  are  variously  arranged  in  lines  along  the 
veins  or  around  the  margins  (Fig.  i).  These  clusters  of  spo- 
rangia are  called  sort,  and  may  be  naked,  as  in  Polypodtutn,  or 
provided  with  a  special  covering  known  as  the  indnsium,  as  in 
Dryopteris  (Fig.  8).  The  various  forms  of  the 
sori  and  indusia  serve  as  the  basis  for  classifica- 
tion into  genera  and  tribes,  while  each  sub-order 
has  its  peculiar  form  of  sporangia. 

27.  In  the  PoLYPODiACEjfc  the  sporangia 
are  more  or  less  completely  surrounded  with  a 
jointed  vertical  ring  or  annulus,  and  at  maturity 
burst  open  transversely  by  the  straightening  of 
the  annulus  and  discharge  their  copious  spores 
(Fig.  2).     The  clusters  of  sporangia  are  said  to 
be  marginal,  intramarginal,  or  dorsal,  according 
as   they   have   their  position  at  the  margin  or 
more   or   less   remote   from    it.     They   may  be 
roundish,  oblong,  or  linear  in  shape,  or  arranged 
in  variously  forking  lines,  or  may  even  be  spread 
in  a  stratum  over  the  entire  under  surface  of  the 

frond.  They  are  called  indusiate  or  non-indusiate  according  as 
they  are  covered  or  naked ;  and  the  indusia  may  be  inferior  (at- 
tached below  the  sorus),  as  in  Woodsia  (Fig.  9),  or  superior,  as 
\nDr)>0fi/erz's(Fig.8),  or  of  various  intermediate  methods  of  at- 
tachment. 

28.  In  the  other  families 
of    Ftlicales    the    sporangia 
are   variously   arranged.     In 
the  HYMENOPHYLLACE^E  or 
filmy  ferns  the  flattened  spo- 
rangia   are   sessile    along    a 
filiform   receptacle,   and   are 
surrounded  with  a  complete 
transverse  annulus.     At  ma- 
turity they   open    vertically 

(Fig-  3)-     In  the  SCHIZ^EACE/E  the  sporangia  are   ovate,   sur- 


Fic.2. — Sporan- 
Polyt 


of    Polyp 


lar&ed- 


FIG.  3.  FIG.  4. 

Fig.  3. — Enlarged  sessile  sporangium 

Fig.  4.— Sporangium  of  Schiztea  /»- 
silla  Pursh,  showing  the  apical  ring. 
Much  enlarged. 


12         OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

rounded  at  the  apex  by  a  complete  annulus,  and  open  by  a 
longitudinal  slit  (Fig.  4).  In  the  OSMUXDACE.E  or  flowering 
ferns  the  sporangia  are  larger,  globose,  and  naked,  with  the 
mere  trace  of  a  transverse  annulus,  and  open  longitudinally. 

The  various  methods  of  fructification  can  be  best  understood 
by  describing  the  peculiarities  of  the  various  genera  in  regular 
succession  and  noting  the  variations  occurring  in  the  sections 
or  sub-genera.  By  this  means  we  will  arrive  at  a  better  under- 
standing of  the  principles  of  fern  classification  as  discussed  in  a 
future  chapter.  As  the  subject  of  venation  is  closely  connected 
with  that  of  fructification,  it  will  be  treated  in  the  same  connec- 
tion. 

29.  Acrostichum. — In  this  genus  the  sporangia  are  spread 
in  a  stratum  over  the  under  surface  of  the  upper  pinnae  in  our 
solitary  species,  but  in  some  exotics  they  cover  portions  of  the 
upper  surface  as  well.     There  is  no  indusium. 

30.  Polypodium  (Fig.  i). — Formerly  all  ferns  agreeing  in 
the   possession   of  roundish   naked    sori   were   placed   in   this 
genus  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  venation  was  widely 
different ;  it  seems  more  logical  to  regard  some  of  these  sections 
as  genera. 

In  §  EUPOLYPODIUM  the  veins  are  free,  yet  are  occasionally 
known  to  unite,*  thus  indicating  a  tendency  to  vary  toward  the 
next  section.  The  sori  are  generally  found  at  the  end  of  a  free 
veinlet. 

In  §  GONIOPHLEBIUM  the  veins  unite  near  the  margin,  form- 
ing large  areolae,  each  containing  a  single  free  veinlet  which 
bears  the  sorus  at  its  end.  A  tendency  to  variation  is  seen  in 
P.  polypodioides,  whose  veins  are  free,  as  well  as  in  P.  Calif or- 
nicum  in  which  they  are  often  partly  free. 

3Oa.  Phlebodium. — In  this  genus  ample  areolae  are  next 
the  midvein,  and  frequently  in  one  or  more  secondary  rows, 
each  bearing  a  single  sorus  at  the  junction  of  two  or  more  vein- 
lets.  A  large  number,  however,  bear  the  sori  at  the  end  of  a 
single  veinlet.  From  the  fertile  areolae  to  the  margin  the  veins 
anastomose  more  copiously. 

*  Catalogue  of  the  Davenport  Herbarium,  p.  8. 


FRUCTIFICATION  IN  FERNS.  13 

3Ob.  Campyloneuron  has  areolse,  each  usually  bearing 
two  sori  ;  they  are  found  between  the  parallel  primary  veins 
which  extend  from  the  midrib  to  the  margin. 

3  1 .  Gymnopteris. — In  this  genus  the  sori  follow  the  course 
of  the  veins,  and  consequently  vary  with  the  venation,  being 
simple,  forked,  pinnated,  or  anastomose  with  each  other.  The 
sori  are  non-indusiate. 

32.  Notholaena.— In  the  cloak-ferns  the  sori  are  marginal, 
and  provided  with  no  indusia.     This  genus  is  linked  very  closely 
to  Gymnopteris  on  one  hand  and  to  some  species  of  Cheilanthes 
on  the  other.     From  the  latter  it  is  separable  only  by  the  ab- 
sence of  the  marginal  indusium ;  the  two  are  likely  to  be  con- 
founded by  beginners. 

33.  Cheilogramma  has  simple  fronds,  the  fructification 
in  a  continuous  sub-marginal  line  near  the  apex  of  the  frond. 

34.  Vittaria. — This  peculiar  genus  occupies  a  somewhat  in- 
termediate position  between  the  indusiate  and    non-indusiate 
genera,  and  while  usually  associated  with  the  latter  has  consid- 
erable claim  to  be  ranked  with  the  former.     The  fronds  are  nar- 
row and  grass  like,  bearing  the  sporangia  in  an  intramarginal 
groove,  often  more  or  less  covered  by  the  inrolled  edge  of  the 
frond.     The  venation  is  very  obscure. 

35.  Adiantum  (Fig.  5).— The  maidenhairs  have  a  peculiarly 
smooth    foliage,  and   usually    possess    no 

midvein.  The  veins  are  usually  flabellate, 
and  after  forking  one  or  more  times  bear 
the  sori  at  their  extremities.  The  margin 
of  the  frond  is  reflexed,  thus  forming  an 
indusium  which  bears  the  sporangia  on  its 
under  surface.  FIG.  5-— A  segment  of 

Adiantutn,    showing     the 

36.  PteriS    (Fig.    6).— In     this    genus,  sori    covered    by    indusia 

now   excluding    the    common    brake,  the  ^ftfiftSPftS 
otherwise  free  veins  are  united  by  a  fill-  Le  Maout  and  Decaisne- 
form  receptacle  which  bears  the  sporangia.     This  continuous 
marginal  line  of  fructification  is  covered  by  a  membranous  in- 
dusium formed  of  the  margin  of  the  frond. 

37.  Cheilanthes. — The  lip-ferns  found  within   our  limits 
are  unequally  divided  among  four  sections,  all  agreeing  in  bear- 


14        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

ing  the  sori  at  or  near  the  ends  of  the  veins,  covered  by   an  in- 
dicium formed  of  the  margin  of  the  frond. 

In  §  ADIANTOPSIS  the  indusia 
are  distinct,  and  confined  to  a 
single  veinlet.  One  of  our  species 
varies  from  the  typical  species  of 
this  section,  and  has  even  been 
assigned  to  a  separate  genus. 

In  §  EUCHEILANTHES  the  indu- 
FIG.  6.—Ptfris  longifoiia  L.    En-  sia  are  more  or  less  confluent  but 

larged  segment  of  pinna,  showing  the  .. 

vein-like  receptacle  under  the  margi-  not  Continuous,  usually  extending 

nai  indusium.  over  tlie  apjces  of  several  veinlets. 

In  §  PHYSAPTERIS  the  ultimate  segments  are  bead-like,  and 
the  indusium  is  continuous  all  round  the  margin. 

§  ALEURITOPTERIS  has  the  fronds  farinose  below,  and  in- 
cludes a  single  species  somewhat  doubtfully  assigned  to  cur 
limits. 

38.  Cryptogramma  has  dimorphous  fronds,  the  margins 
of  the  fertile  being  closely  rolled  toward  the  midvein,  thus  cov- 
ering the  confluent  sori.     At  maturity  these  open  flat  in  order 
to  discharge  the  spores. 

39.  Pellsea  has  representatives  of  three   sections  within 
our  limits,  all  agreeing  in  possessing  intramarginal  sori,  which 
finally  became  confluent  and  form  a  marginal  line  covered  by 
an  indusium  formed  of  the  margin  of  the  frond. 

§  CHEILOPLECTON  includes  herbaceous  species  with  visible 
veins  and  broad  indusia. 

§  ALLOSORUS  includes  coriaceous  species  having  wide 
indusia,  while  §  PLATYLOMA  includes  species  similar  in  texture, 
but  with  extremely  narrow  indusia  and  broad  segments. 

40.  Ceratopteris  is    an    anomalous  genus  from  southern 
Florida,  having  a  few  sori  arranged  on  two  or  three  veins  par- 
allel to  the  midvein,  and  covered  by  the  broadly  reflexed  margin 
of  the  frond.     It  properly  forms  the  type  of  a  family. 

41 .  Struthiopteris  (Fig.  7)  is  intermediate  between  those 
genera  in  which  there  is  an  indusium  formed  of  the  revolute 
margin  of  the  frond  and  those  in  which  the  indusium  is  remote 
from  the  margin.     Our  single  species  has  dimorphous  fronds, 
free  veins,  and  the  fructification  in  a  broad  band  next  the  mid- 


FRUCTIFICATION  IN  FERNS. 


vein,  covered  by  acontinuous  and  distinctly  intramarginal  indu- 
sium.     This  genus  closely  resembles  the 
next  in  general  habit,  and  is  sometimes 
united  with  it. 

42.  Blechnum. — In  this  genus  the 
sori  are  linear  and  near  the  midvein,  and 
are  covered  by  a  membranous  indusium 
which  is  fixed  at  its  outer  margin,  burst- 
ing at   its   inner  margin  when   the  spo- 

rangia  are  mature.     A  single  representa-     Y^1__St,.uthil,f>terisspi. 

live  is  found  within  OUr  limits.  cant.      Enlarged    section    of 

43.  Woodwardia. — Three     Species   showingtntramarginalPindu' 

of  chain-ferns  occur  within  our  limits,  sium- 
and  each  represents  a  distinct  section  based  on  the  methods 
of  venation.  All  have  oblong  or  linear  sori  more  or  less 
sunken  in  the  frond,  covered  by  special  lid-like  indusia  burst- 
ing at  their  inner  margins,  and  arranged  in  chainlike  rows  near 
the  midvein,  thus  giving  the  popular  name  to  the  genus. 

§  EUWOODWARDIA  has  uniform  fronds  and  veins  forming  at 
least  one  series  of  areolae  between  the  sori  and  the  margin. 

§  ANCHISTEA  has  also  uniform  fronds,  but  with  free  veins 
from  the  sori  to  the  margin  while  §  LORINSERIA  has  dimor- 
phous fronds,  and  the  veins  everywhere  uniting  to  form  areolae, 
as  in  the  sensitive-fern  (Onoclea  sensibilis). 

44.  Asplenium. — The    numerous   species  of  spleenworts 
are  closely  related  to  each  other  in  their  methods  of   fructifica- 
tion, but  differ  widely  in  the  form,  texture,  and  cutting  of  their 
fronds.     The  sori  are  placed  on   the  upper  side  of  an  oblique 
vein  (sometimes  crossing  it  in  §  ATHYRIUM),  and  covered  by  an 
indusium  of  the  same  shape  attached  by  its  edge  to  the  fruiting 
vein  and  opening  toward  the  midvein.     In  some  species  part 
of  the  indusia  are  double.     The  veins  are  free  in  all  our  species. 
In  §  EUASPLENIUM  the  sori  are  straight  or  slightly  curved ;  in 
§  ATHYRIUM  they  are  often  curved,  even  horseshoe  shaped; 
and  frequently  cross  to  the  outer  side  of  the  fruiting  vein. 

45.  Phyllitis  bears  the  linear  sori  in  pairs,  one  from  the 
upper  side  of  a  veinlet  and  its  mate  from  the  lower  side  of  the 
next.     The  indusia  are  attached  by  their  edges  to  the  veins,  and 
folding  toward  each  other  appear  like  a  double  indusium  cover- 


1  6       OUR   NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

ing  a  single  sorus.     The  veins  extend  nearly  at  right  angles  to 
the  midvein,  are  free,  and  usually  forked. 

46.  Camptosorus.  —  The  walking-leaf  has  oblong  or  linear 
indusiate  sori,  which  are  irregularly  scattered  and  borne  partly 
on  veins  parallel  to  the  midvein,  and  partly  on  those  that  are 
oblique.     Those  near  the  midvein  are  single,  those  toward  the 
margin  are  often  approximate  in  pairs  and  often  form  crooked 
lines.     The  veins  are  everywhere  copiously  reticulated. 

47.  Phegopteris.  —  In  this  genus  the  sori  are  round  and 
naked  as  in  Polypodium,  with  which  this   genus  was   formerly 
united.     The  sporangia  spring  from  the  back  of  the  veins  in- 
stead of  the  apex,  as  in  the  latter  genus,  and  the  veins  are  free 
except  in  the  §  GONIOPTERIS,  in  which  they  are  more  or  less 
united. 

48.  Dryopteris  is  largely  represented  in  our  limits  by  two 
well  marked  groups  which   it  is  best  now  to  regard  as  distinct 

genera,  and  two  others  with  characters  scarcely 
less  distinct,  containing  each  a  single  species. 
In  all  the  sori  are  roundish,  and  borne  on  the 
back  of  the  veins  or  rarely  at  their  apex.  In 
DRYOPTERIS  the  indusium  is  cordato-reniform 
or  orbicular  with  a  narrow  sinus.  This  at  first 
covers  the  sorus  and  is  attached  by  its  margin, 
but  later  bursts  away  at  the  margin  but  remains 
attached  at  the  sinus.  In  some  species  in  this 
section  the  indusium  becomes  shrivelled  before 
FIG.  s.  —  Under  the  fruit  matures,  and  in  this  condition  might 
ment°of  ^ylpferit  be  mistaken  for  a  non-indusiate  species  (Fig.  8). 


jilix-mas,     with        jn  Polystichum  the  indusium  is  orbicular 

eight   son.     z,   the 

indusium.    Magni-  and  peltate,  being  fixed  by  the  centre  ;  the  veins 

fied.  (After  Sachs.)  ,  •      P  x? 

;  are  free,  as  m  §  NEPHRODIUM. 

In  Phanerophlebia  the  indusium  is  the  same  as  in  POLY- 
STICHUM, but  the  veins  tend  to  unite  near  the  margin,  while  in 
Tectaria  the  veins  anastomose  copiously. 

49.  Nephrolepis  Has  roundish  sori  borne  at  the  apex  of 
the  upper  branch  of  a  free  vein,  near  the  margin  of  the  frond. 
The  indusia  are  usually  reniform,  fixed  by  the  sinus  or  base,  and 
open  toward  the  margins  of  the  pinnae. 

5O-  Filix.  —  The  small  bladder-ferns  take  their  popular 
name  from  the  delicate,  hood-like  indusium  which  is  attached 


FRUCTIFICATION  IN  FERNS.  1 7 

by  its  broad  base  on  the  inner  side  of  the  roundish  sorus  and 
partly  under  it.  Later  this  is  thrown  back  and  withers  away. 
The  veins  are  free,  and  the  fronds  have  the  aspect  of  species  of 
Dryoptcris,  but  are  usually  more  delicate  in  texture. 

51.  Onoclea. — -Two  quite  dissimilar  species  have  unfortu- 
nately been  united  under  this  name,  which  best  form  two  genera 
Both    have  dimorphous  fronds,  the  margin  of  the  contracted 
fertile  frond  being  strongly  revolute,  and  concealing  the  fruit. 
Matteuccia    has   necklace-shaped    pinnae,    crowded    confluent 
sori,  and  free  and  simple  veins.     Onoclea  has  panicled  berry- 
shaped  pinnules  and  copiously  anastomosing  veins. 

52.  Woodsia   (Fig.  9)   has  round- 
ish  sori   borne   on   the    back    of    the 
veins,  with   the   indusia  attached   be- 
neath the  sporangia  and  flat  and  open, 
or  early  bursting   at   the   top  into    ir- 
regular  laciniae    or    lobes.     In    §    Eu- 
WOODSIA  the  indusia  are  flat  and  open      _ 

r  FIG.    g.  —  Jf-  oodsia     oHusa 

from    an    early  stage,  with  their  cleft   Torr.     Enlarged  section  of 

and   ciliate    margins    concealed    under   and  inferior  indusia. 

the  sori.     In  §  HYPOPELTIS  the  indu- 

sium  is  more  conspicuous  and  encloses  the  sporangium  at  first, 

but  soon  bursts  at  the  top,  forming  several  jagged  lobes. 

53.  Dennstaedtia. — In  this  genus  the  small  globular  sorus 
is  borne  in  an  elevated,  globular  receptacle,  and  enclosed  in  an 
inferior,    membranous,   cup-shaped    indusium.     The   veins   are 
always  free.     The  genus  has  been  confused  with  tree-ferns. 

54.  Trichomanes  (Fig.  10)  has 
sessile  sporangia  borne  on  a  filiform 
receptacle  at  the  summit  of  a  vein. 
The  indusia  are   tubular  or  funnel- 
shaped,  with  an  expanded  and  often 
somewhat  two-lipped  mouth. 

55.  Lygodium. — In  our  species 
of  climbing-fern  the  fructification  is 
borne  on  contracted,  forked  pinnules 

FIG.    io.—  Trichomanes     radi- 
OCCUpying    the    upper    portion    OI  the   cans     Swz.       Enlarged    section, 

frond.     The  ovoid  sporangia  are  sol- 
itary or  occasionally  in  pairs,  and  are  borne  in  the  axils  of  the 


1 8        OUR   NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

large,  imbricated,    scalelike    indusia  which   are   fixed    by  their 

bases  to  short,  oblique  veinlets. 

56.    Ornithopteris. — In   this   the  two   lowest  branches  of 

the  frond  bear  panicles  of  fruit  at  the  end  of  very  long  stalks. 
The  ovate  sporangia  are  sessile  in  two  rows  along 
the  branchlets  of  the  panicle,  without  special 
covering  of  any  kind.  In  the  section  represented 
by  our  species  the  veins  are  free. 

57.  Schizaea.— In  this  genus  the  large  ovoid 
sporangia  are  sessile  in  double  rows  along  the 
single  vein  of  the  narrow  fertile  divisions.     In 
our  species  the  pairs  of  fertile  pinnae  form  a  dis- 
tichous spike  (Fig.  11). 

58.  Osmunda  has  the  large   globose  spo- 
rangia, short-stalked,  and   borne    on   the  con- 
tracted fertile  portions  of  the  frond.     In  the  cin- 
namon-fern (O.  ctnnamomea)  the  fertile  fronds 
are  entirely  distinct  from  the   sterile,  yet  mani- 
festing a  tendency  to  variation  in  the  var.  fron- 
dosa.      In    the    interrupted    flowering-fern    (O. 
Claytoniana)   the  fructification  is  confined  to  a 
few  of  the  middle  pinnae  of  the   frond.     In  the 
royal   flowering-fern   (O.  regalis)    the    fructifica- 
tion is  borne  at  the  apex  of  the  fronds. 

59.  Spores. — The  spores  of  ferns  constitute 
the  so-called  fruit.    A  spore  consists  of  two*  dis- 
tinct closed   sacs   and   the  cell   contents,  all  of 
which  differ  from  each  other  not  only  in  struc- 
ture, but  also  in   chemical    composition.     The 

FIG  ii  —  Schiztea  outer  la>'cr  (fxospore)  consists  chiefly  of  cellu- 
pusiiia        Pursh.  lose  ;  the  inner  layer  (endosfiore)  contains  some 
Entire  plant,   nat- 
ural size.  albuminous  matter   in    addition,  while  the  cell 

contents  consist  chiefly  of  a  thin,  colorless,  jelly-like  substance 
known  as  protoplasm,  with  grains  of  chlorophyll   (the  green 

*  Campbell  has  recently  demonstrated  the  existence  of  a  third  (middle) 
layer,  which  is  not  readily  apparent  until  after  germination.  Cf.  Memoirs 
Boston  Soc.  Nat.  History,  iv,  \-jet  seq.  (April,  1887). 


GERMINATION  OF  FERN  SPORES.  19 

coloring  matter  of  plants),  starch,  and  oil.  The  exospore  may 
be  smooth  or  roughened  by  points,  granules,  warts,  or  prickles. 
The  shape  varies  with  different  species,  yet  all  are  rounded,  and 
most  are  oblong  or  at  least  longer  than  broad.  All  are  micro- 
scopic, and  many  are  of  such  a  shape  that  they  do  not  appear 
uniform  owing  to  the  various  directions  from  which  we  view 
them. 

6O.  The  number  of  spores  produced  by  a  single  fern  is  in- 
credible. Lindley  calculated  that  a  single  frond  of  the  hart's- 
tongue  produced  about  80  sori,  with  an  average  of  4500  sporan- 
gia in  each  sorus,  and  each  sporangium  containing  50  spores, 
making  a  total  of  18,000,000  spores.  The  copious  green  spores 
of  Osmunda  cinnamomea,  or  the  pale-yellow,  powdery  spores  of 
a  well-developed  specimen  of  Botrychium  Virgmianum,  must 
far  exceed  this  computation.  By  drying  either  of  these  species 
under  pressure  between  sheets  of  paper  great  quantities  of  the 
spores  may  be  obtained  for  examination.  Specimens  for  this 
purpose  should  be  selected  just  before  the  sporangia  reach 
their  maturity. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
GERMINATION   OF   FERN   SPORES. 

Alle  Glieder  bilden  sich  aus  nach  ew'gen  Gesetzen, 

Und  die  seltenste  Form  bewahrt  im  Geheimniss  das  Urbild. 

-GOETHE. 

6  1 .  THE  germination  of  the  fern  spores  usually  takes  place 
a  considerable  time  after  they  are  discharged  from  the  sporangia, 
but  in  Osmunda,  which  develops  its  fruit  early  in  the  season, 
they  commence  their  growth  only  a  few  days  after  dissemination. 

62.  Thalloid  Phase. — In  germination  the  exospore  splits 
along  the  side,  and  the  protruding  endospore,  sometimes  with 
its  divisions  already  formed  by  septa  or  partitions,  forms,  not 
a  fern,  but  a  thalloid  structure  resembling  one  of  the  lower 


20        OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 


liverworts  called  the  prothallium.  Different  ferns  vary  in  the 
method  of  forming  this  prothallium,  some  producing  it  im- 
mediately at  the  spore  and  others 
after  the  formation  of  a  thread- 
like growth  known  as  the  pro- 
embryo.  The  prothallium  is  en- 
tirely composed  of  cellular  tissue, 
and  in  the  true  ferns  (POLYPO- 
DIACE^E)  is  broadly  cordate  or  reni- 
form  in  shape,  and  bears  large 
numbers  of  root-hairs  from  the 
under  part  of  its  posterior  portion 
(Figs.  12.  13). 

The  prothallium  varies  in  size 
from  less  than  one  tenth  of  an 
J%£'  l^^S^^fo  inch  up  to  one  third  of  an  inch 
stages  of  growth.  (After  Moore.)  jn  ks  widest  part.  Qn  the  under 

surface  of  the  prothallium  two  sorts  of  organs  are  produced 
which  represent  the  male  and  female  structures,  respectively 
known  as  antheridia  and  archegonia.  The  position  of  these 
organs  on  the  prothallium  varies  in  different  sub-orders.  In 
some  species,  notably  the  ostrich-fern,  the  two  kinds  of  sexual 
organs  are  produced  on  separate  prothallia,  so  that  the  plant 
becomes  dioecious  instead  of  monoecious.  In  nurseries  where 
ferns  are  grown  for  sale  immense  quantities  of  prothallia  are 
regularly  developed  from  spores. 

63.  Antheridia. — These  are  small  masses  of  tissue  developed 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  root-hairs,  consisting  of  a  single 
layer  of  cells    forming  the  wall,  and  containing  a  number  of 
spirally  coiled  threads,  usually  with  a  number  of  cilia  on  their 
anterior  coils.     At  maturity  the  antheridium  swells  by  the  ab- 
sorption of  water  and  finally  bursts  its  wall,  discharging  these 
coiled  filaments,  which  possess  the  power  of  locomotion,  and  for 
this  reason  are  called  antherozoids.     These  antherozoids  often 
drag  with  them  a  little  vesicle  which  seems  to  play  no  part  in 
the  process  of  reproduction  (Fig.  14). 

64.  Archegonia. — The  archegonium  (falsely  called  pistil- 
lidium)    is   also   a   rounded   mass  of  tissue  usually  less  prom- 


GERMINATION   OF  FERN  SPORES.  21 

inent  than  the  antheridia,  consisting  of  an  external  layer  of 
cells  and  a  large  central  cell,  which  soon  divides  into  two.  The 
lower  portion,  at  first  the  larger,  develops  into  a  roundish  cell, 
which  is  analogous  to  the  ovum  among  animals,  and  is  called 
the  oosphere.  The  upper  portion  of  the  central  celi  develops 
between  those  composing  the  neck  of  the  archegonium  into  a 
canal  filled  with  a  sort  of  mucilage;  this  finally  swells  up,  forces 
the  cells  of  the  neck  apart,  and  is  expelled  to  aid  in  attracting 


FIG.  14.— Antheridium  of  Adia.ntum  FIG.  15.— Young  archegonium  of  Pteris 
ccif-Mus-vcneris  L.,  showing  the  es-  serrulata  Linn,  f.,  showing  oosphere, 
caping  antherozoids.  (After  Sachs.)  neck,  and  canal-cell.  (After  Sachs.) 

and  retaining  the  antherozoids  at  the  neck  of  the  archegonium. 
The  oSsphere  is  thus  left  exposed  (Fig.  15). 

65.  Fertilization. — The  antherozoids,  analogous  to  the 
sperm-cells,  when  discharged  from  the  antheridium  swim 
in  the  moisture  always  present  on  the  under  surface  of  the 
prothallium,  swarm  in  large  numbers  around  the  neck  of  the 
archegonium,  and  are  retained  by  the  mucilage.  Some  finally 
force  their  way  into  the  canal  of  the  neck,  a  few  reaching  the 
oosphere  and  disappearing  within  its  substance.  There  is  thus 
a  true  sexual  generation  among  ferns,  and  the  formerly  appro- 
priate term  Cryptogamta  (hidden  marriage)  loses  its  application 
under  the  untiring  scrutiny  of  the  microscopist.  After  fertili- 
zation the  neck  of  the  archegonium  closes,  and  the  fertilized 


22         OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 


FIG.    16.  —Adiant* 
capillus-veneris  L.   Pro- 


oosphere,  now  called  the  ovspore,  increases  in  size,  and  finally 

develops  into  a  true  fern. 

66.  Pteridoid  Phase.— After  the  oo- 
sphere  has  been  fertilized  it  commences  its 
growth  by  the  ordinary  processes  of  cell 
multiplication,  and  for  a  time  remains  with. 
in  the  walls  of  the  archegonium,  which 
continue  to  grow,  until  finally  the  interior 
growth  breaks  through  the  walls,  differen- 
tiated into  its  first  root  and  leaf.  The  young 
fern  draws  its  nourishment  from  the  pro- 
thallium  for  a  time,  but  soon  develops 
root-hairs,  which,  extending  into  the  soil, 
maintain  thereby  an  existence  independent 
of  the  prothallium.  The  latter  growth  hav- 
ing accomplished  its  work,  withers  away 

^KSShS.ni  fem    (Fig"  l6)'    The  first  PartS  °f  the  rOOt-  Stem> 

seen  from    below;  //,  and  frond  are  very  small  and  comparatively 

r thallium;   b,  first  leaf;  r 

•oot-hairs  of  prothai-  simple  in  structure,  but  those  formed  later 

second  ^'root's.  ^"(After  are  successively  larger,  and  not  only  bear 
Sachs-)  a  closer  resemblance  to  the  mature  form 

of  the  species,  but  also  develop  increased  complexity  of  struc- 
ture. "  The  fern  continues  to  gain  strength,  not  by  subsequent 
increase  of  size  of  the  embryonic  structures,  but  by  each  succes 
sive  part  attaining  a  more  considerable  size  and  development 
than  the  preceding  ones,  until  at  length  a  kind  of  stationary 
condition  is  arrived  at,  in  which  the  newly  formed  organs  are 
nearly  similar  to  the  preceding  ones." 

67.  The  complete  life-history  of  a  fern  illustrates  a  principle 
common  among  the  lower  forms  of  animal  life  known  as  "alter- 
nation of  generations."     Instead  of  the  direct  production  of  a 
mature  sexual  plant,  as  among  the  higher  forms  of  vegetation, 
there  is  the  production  of  a  sexual  growth  resembling  a  lower 
form  of  vegetation,  which  in  turn  is  followed  by  the  growth  of 
a  mature  plant  producing  its  fruit  without  the  assistance  of  sex- 
ual organs. 

68.  Recapitulation. — To  review  the  life-history  of  a  fern 
we  find  the  following  processes  : 


GERMINATION  OF  FERN  SPORES.  2$ 

A.  Production  of  the  spores  asexually  by  the  mature  plant. 

(FRUCTIFICATION.) 

B.  Growth  of  the  prothallium  from  the  spore  with  or  with- 
out the  development  of  a  pro-embryo.     (THALLOID  PHASE.)* 

C.  Production  of  sexual  organs,  archegonia  (female)  and 
antheridia  (male),  on  the  under  surface  of  the  prothallium,  or 
on  separate  prothallia. 

D.  Fecundation  of  the  oosphere  developed  in  the  arche- 
gonium  by  the  antherozoids  developed    in   the   antheridium. 

(FERTILIZATION.) 

E.  Growth   of  the  mature  fern  in  successive  stages  from 
the  oospore.     (PTERIDOID  PHASE.)* 

LITERATURE. 

BESSEY  (Charles  E.)-  Botany,  pp.  361-388.  New  York, 
1881.  (Henry  Holt  &  Co.) 

GOEBEL  (K.).  Outlines  of  Classification  and  Special  Mor- 
phology of  Plants,  pp.  189-298.  (English  Translation.)  Ox- 
ford, 1887.  (Macmillan  &  Co.) 

CAMPBELL  (Douglas  H.).  Fern  Notes.  In  Torrey  Bulletin, 
x,  1 1 8,  119.  (Nov.  1883.) 

The  Development  of  the  Prothallia  in  Ferns.  In  Botan- 
ical Gazette,  x,  355-360,  with  Plate  IX.  (Oct.  1885.) 

The  Structure  and  Development  of  the  Mosses  and 

Ferns.  8vo.  London  and  New  York,  1895.  (Macmillan  &  Co.) 
This  also  contains  an  extensive  Bibliography  of  the  entire  subject. 

*  The  terms  "  Thalloid  Phase"  and  "  Pteridoid  Phase"  in  place  of  the 
older  terms  "  sexual  generation"  and  "asexual  generation"  were  first  sug- 
gested in  the  first  edition  of  this  work  (1881).  The  older  terms,  although  in 
common  use  by  botanical  writers,  are  decidedly  unfortunate  and  misleading. 
A  generation  is  properly  the  production  of  offspring  resembling  the  parent, 
or  the  offspring  thus  produced,  which  the  prothallium  is  not  and  the  mature 
fern  is  not.  The  generation  proper  must  then  be  considered  as  including  the 
entire  life-history  of  a  fern,  of  which  the  prothallium  and  mature  fern  are  suc- 
cessive phases.  The  terms  "sexual  "  and  "asexual  "  as  used  in  this  connec- 
tion are  likewise  misleading,  as  they  might  apply  as  well  to  the  origin  as  to 
the  producing  power  of  the  so-called  "  generation."  The  prothallium  is  asex- 
ual in  origin,  but  develops  sexual  organs  ;  the  mature  fern,  on  the  other  hand, 
produces  no  sexual  organs,  but  is  itself  the  product  of  bisexuality.  It  is  now 
more  common  to  speak  of  these  two  phases  of  growth  as  the  gametophyte 
and  sporophyte  respectively. 


24        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

CAMPBELL  (Douglas  H.).  On  the  Development  of  the 
Antheridium  in  Ferns.  In  Torrey  Bulletin,  ..xill,  49-52,  with 
Plate  LIV.  (Apr.  1886.) 

— : —  The  Development  of  the  Ostrich  fern.  In  Memoirs 
Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,  iv,  17-52,  with  Plates  IV- 
vii.  (Apr.  1887.) 

On  the  Prothallium  and  Embryo  of  Osmunda  Clay- 

toniana  L.  and  O.  cinnamomea  L.  In  Annals  of  Botany,  vi, 
49-94,  pi.  m-vi  (1892). 


CHAPTER   V. 
FERN    STRUCTURE. 

Be  it  ours  to  meditate, 

And  to  the  beautiful  order  of  thy  works 
Learn  to  conform  the  order  of  our  lives. 

— BRYANT. 

69.  Tissues. — The  life-history  of  every  plant  commences 
in  a  single  cell,  and  all  the  complications  of  vegetable  growth 
depend  on  two  simple  processes,  viz.,  the  enlargement  of  indi- 
vidual cells  to  their  full  size,  and  their  multiplication  by  divi- 
sion.    The  lowest  forms  of  vegetable  life  consist  of  a  single 
cell,  either  globular  or  elongate.     Those  of  a  somewhat  higher 
grade  consist  of  a  single  row  of  cells,  or  at  most  a  single  layer; 
while   still  higher  forms  of  growth    consist  of  masses  of  cells 
variously  grouped  together  and   specialized  by  differentiation 
from  the  typical  form  and  character. 

70.  Cells  become  specialized  or  set  apart  to  fulfil  a  certain 
function  in  the  economy  of  plant  growth  in  many  ways.     Some 
are  lengthened  for  giving  strength  to  stems  or  leaves;   some 
have  their  walls  thickened  to  give  rigidity  or  hardness  where 
protection  is  needed   from   injury  to   more  delicate  structures 
within  ;  and  some  are  variously  adapted  for  containing  and  dis- 
tributing the  secretions  or  other  fluids  connected  with  the  cir- 
culatory system  of  plant  life.     Seven  distinct  varieties  of  tissues 
are  recognized  by  structural  botanists,  yet  some  of  these  are 
connected  with  each  other  by  various  gradations, 


FERN   STRUCTURE.  2$ 

71.  Tissue  Systems. — The  earliest  tendency  to  differen- 
tiation of  cells  is  seen  in  the  arrangement  of  the  outer  row  of 
cells  to  form  a  boundary  wall.     In  higher  forms  of  growth  the 
interior  cells  tend  to  form  one  or  more  series  of  string-like  rows 
surrounded  by  the  normal  cellular  tissue.     We  thus  reach  the 
basis  of  the  classification  of  vegetable  tissues  into  three  groups  : 
(a)  Epidermal  Syste.n.      (b)  Fibro-vascular  System.      (c)  Fun- 
damental  System   (Fig.  17).     The  first  and  third  are  common 
to  both  ferns  and  mosses.     The  second  is  first  seen  in  the  ferns 
and  their  allies,  where  it  is  a  character  so  constant  that  it  serves 
as  the  basis  for  separating  the  so-called  "  vascular"  cryptogams 
from  other  flowerless  plants.     These  three  forms  of  tissue  may 
be  seen  by  examining  a  thin  cross-section  of  the  stipe  of  a  living 
fern  with  the  microscope.     Longitudinal  sections  will  show  still 
further  the  character  of  the  tissues  composing  the  fibro-vascular 
bundle. 

72.  Roots. — Roots  are  constantly  produced  as  the  root- 
stock  advances,  and  consist  for  the  most  part  of  little  fibrils 
which  are  naked  for  a  short  distance  from  the  apex  in  order 
that  they  may  freely  absorb  moisture  from  the  earth.     The  epi- 
dermis is  also  thin,  and  usually  consists  of  a  single  layer  of  small 
cells.     It  differs  from  that  of  the  rest  of  the  plant  in  having  no 
stomata  (77).     As  the  apex  continues  to  grow,  the  epidermis  of 
the  part  behind  becomes  harder,  and  frequently  develops  hairs, 
or  more  frequently  irregular  scales. 

73.  Stipe. — The  stipe  is  made  up  of  the  three  forms  of 
tissue  (Fig.  17),  and  usually  con- 
tains several  bundles  of  vascular 

tissue.  In  the  dried  stipe  these 
can  be  easily  seen,  by  scraping  off 
the  external  covering  of  the  stem. 
These  bundles  of  fibres  give  sta- 
bility to  the  fern,  and  are  con- 
tinued through  the  rachises  and 
veins,  thus  forming  the  frame-  FlG.  I7._Cross.section  of  stipe  of 
work  for  the  softer  portions  of  ^V/Mr/ra«i'ff«(L.) Under*., showing 

.  .        ~.  .  two  bundles  of  tibro-vascular  tissue. 

the  frond.      1  he  stipes  are  some- 
times smooth    and    polished,    sometimes  hairy  or   beset    with 
stalked  glands,  and  sometimes  densely  clothed,  especially  near 
the  base,  with  chaffy  scales. 


26        OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

74.  Frond. — In  the  HYMENOPHYLLACE^E  the  frond  con- 
sists of  a  single  layer  of  cells.     This  condition  is  also  found  in 
the   leaves   developed   along  the   axis   of  growth  among  the 
mosses  to  which  this  sub-order  is  related  in  some  of  its  forms. 
In  all  other  lerns  there  are  several  layers  of  cells  variously 
compacted  together,  and  forming  all  the  varieties  of    texture 
— membranous,  herbaceous,  coriaceous   and   fleshy.     The  epi- 
dermis is  usually  easily  separable  from  the  underlying  tissue, 
when  its  peculiar  markings  can  be  studied. 

75.  From  the  epidermis  a  great  variety  of  appendages  are 
developed  which  are  all  modifications  of  hairs,  and  are  all  in- 
cluded under  the  term  trichomes,  however  different  in  appear- 
ance or  distinct  in  function.     These   are  not  confined  to  the 
frond,  but  develop  here  their  greatest  variation.     They  are  fre- 
quently found  on  the  roots,  the  rootstock,  and  the  stipe,  under 
the  form  of  root-hairs  or  scales  of  various  forms.     Scales  are 
especially  abundant  in  certain  forms  of  Dryopteris,  as  well  as  in 
Polystichum,  Cheilanthes,  and  other  genera. 

76.  Trlchomes. — On  the  fronds  the  trichomes  may  be  de- 
veloped as  simple  unarticulated  or  articulated  hairs,  consisting 
of  one   or  two   cells   at   most.     They  may  appear  as   stalked 
glands   like   those   that  arise   from   the   stipe    of    Cheilanthes 
Coopcrce  or  the  margin  of  the  indusium  of  Dryopteris  spimilnsa, 
•var.  intermedia  ;  or  they  may  be  developed  into  scales  of  in- 
tricate cellular  structure  like  those  on  the  under  surface  of  cer- 

•tain  forms  of  Cheilanthes,  particularly  C.  Fendleri  and  C.  Cleve- 
landii.  In  the  true  ferns  the  sporangia  are  specialized,  tri- 
chomes developed  in  clusters  {sort)  along  the  veins,  or  spread 
over  the  entire  surface  of  the  frond,  or  even  arranged  in  spikes 
or  panicles.  The  epidermis  also  develops  an  excrescence 
known  as  the  indusium,  which  consists  of  a  single  layer  of  cells, 
and  is  variously  arranged  as  indicated  in  Chapter  III.  In  some 
cases  a  false  indusium  is  provided,  which  is  not  a  growth  from 
the  epidermis,  and  may  consist  of  several  layers  of  cells. 

77.  Stomata. — If  the  epidermis  covering  the  under  surface 
of  a  fern  be  examined  under  a  high  magnifying  power,  peculiar 
structures  will  be  seen  in  the  form  of  semi-elliptical  or  crescent- 
shaped  cells  connected  at  their  apices  and  separated  between. 
These  are  the  guard-cells  of  stomata  which  control  the  open- 


FERN  STRUCTURE. 


27 


ings  to  the  air-chambers  of  the  plant.  The  two  elliptical  cells 
form  the  mouth  of  the  passage  and  expand  when  moist,  allow- 
ing the  atmospheric  gases  and  watery  vapor  to  escape  or  enter 
but  close  the  entrance  by  contraction  in  time  of  drought.  The 
stomata  are  not  confined  to  the  fronds,  but  are  found  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  on  all  aerial  portions  of  ferns  and  higher 
plants,  as  well  as  on  subterranean  stems. 

78.  Asexual    Propagation — Besides   the  ordinary  meth- 
ods of  sexual  reproduction  discussed  in  Chapter  IV.,  most  ferns 
are  propagated  by  growth  of  therootstock  under  ground,  giving 
rise  to  a  succession  of  fronds  each  season.     In  addition  to  this, 
which  is  common  to  all  perennial  plants,  there  are  some  meth- 
ods of  reproduction  that  deserve  attention.     The  first  is  by 

79.  Buds  and  Bulblets. — In  a  few  species  of  conservatory 
ferns  adventitious   buds  are   produced  on  the  surfaces  of  the 
fronds.     These  soon  develop  into  young  ferns,  and  it  is  not  un- 
common to  see  a  large  number  in  vari- 
ous stages  of  growth  rising  from  a  sin- 
gle frond.     This  peculiarity  is  common 

among  several  species  of  Asplenium, 
especially  A.  furcatum  Thunb.,  and 
will  be  sometimes  found  to  occur  among 
some  of  our  native  species.  Bulblets  are 
found  in  the  axils  of  the  upper  pinnae  of 
our  Filix  bulbifera,  which  often  fall  to 
the  ground  and  develop  into  new  plants 
after  a  manner  analogous  to  the  devel- 
opment of  the  axillary  buds  of  the  tiger- 
lily. 

SO.  Another  method  is  seen  in  the 
walking-leaf  (Camptosorus  rhizophyllus), 
in  which  the  long,  attenuated,  simple 
fronds  bend  over  and  take  root  in  the 
adjoining  soil  in  a  manner  quite  analo-  ^ 

gous  to  the  propagation  of  strawberries   showing  peculiar'  method  of 
by  runners  (Fig.  18).   The  same  method    Pr°Pa£ation- 
of    rooting  at    the  apex  has  also  been  noticed   in  Asplenium 
pinnatijidum,  A.  platyneuron,  and  Phcgopteris  reptans. 


28        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 


LITERATURE.* 

BESSEY.    Botany.    (See  p.  23.) 

GOEBEL.     Outlines  of  Classification.    (See  p.  23.) 

DE  BARY  (A.).  Comparative  Anatomy  of  Phanerogams 
and  Ferns.  8vo.  Oxford,  1884.  (Macmillan  &  Co.) 

CAMPBELL  (Douglas  H.).  A  Third  Coat  in  the  Spores  of  the 
Genus  Onoclea.  In  Torrey  Bulletin,  xn,  8,  9  (Jan.  1885). 

SCHRENK  (Joseph).  The  Dehiscence  of  Fern  Sporangia. 
In  Torrey  Bulletin,  Xlll,  68,  69  (1886). 

LYON  (Florence  May).  Dehiscence  of  the  Sporangium  of 
Adiantum  pedatum.  In  Torrey  Bulletin,  xiv,  180-183  (Sept. 
1887). 

ATKINSON  (George  F.).  The  Study  of  the  Biology  of  Ferns 
by  the  Collodion  Method.  8vo.  New  York,  1894.  (Macmillan 
&Co.) 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    FERN    ALLIES. 

Beneath  my  feet 
The  ground-pine  curled  its  pretty  wreath. — EMERSON. 

A.    THE   GRAPE-FERNS   AND   ADDER-TONGUES. 

8  1 .  General  Characters. — These  peculiar  plants,  former- 
ly united  with  the  true  ferns,  are  now  regarded  as  constitut- 
ing a  distinct  botanical  family.  They  include  mostly  small, 
fleshy,  terrestrial  plants,  and,  like  ferns,  may  usually  be  found 
in  swamps  or  rich,  moist  woods.  As  already  noticed  (5),  there 
is  a  marked  tendency  to  variation  in  the  same  species,  and 
numerous  varieties  have  been  established  from  the  various 
forms. 

82.  The  sterile  and  fertile  portions  of  the  plant  are  borne 
on  a  common  stalk,  and  either  portion  may  be  sessile,  long 

*  See  other  references  at  close  of  Chapter  X. 


THE  FERN  ALLIES, 


29 


or  short  stalked,  in  the  various  species.  In  Ophioglossum 
the  sterile  portion  is  simple,  and 
in  all  our  species  appears  like  a  leaf 
rising  from  the  common  stalk. 
Cheiroglossa  has  several  spikes. 
In  Botrychium  (Fig.  19)  the  sterile 
segment  (except  in  some  forms  of 
B.  simplex)  is  somewhat  pinnately  or 
ternately  divided,  and  in  the  larger 
forms  of  B.  Virginianum  is  broad- 
ly ternate,  with  the  divisions  even 
tri — quadripinnatifid.  The  veins  are 
free  in  the  latter  genus,  but  anas- 
tomose in  the  former.  This  charac- 
ter, however,  is  frequently  obscured 
by  the  fleshy  texture  of  the  plant. 

83.  Vernation. — As  has  been 
before  stated,  ferns  are  rolled  in  the 
bud  from  the  apex  downward  (cir- 
cinate),  distinguishing  them  from 
the  higher  forms  of  vegetation. 
Among  the  OPHIOGLOSSACE.E,  how- 
ever, the  vernation  is  either  straight, 
inclined  at  the  apex  of  one  or  both 
segments,  or  else  the  fertile  seg- 
ments are  folded  on  the  main  stalk, 
making  the  vernation  wholly  in- 
clined. Until  recently  there  has  been 
much  difficulty  in  distinguishing  the 
smaller  species  of  Botrychium,  and 
some  forms  seem  to  connect  the 
smaller  ones  with  the  reduced  forms 
of  13.  obliquutn  and  B.  Virgini- 
anum. 

Mr.  Davenport  has  investigated  the  bud  characters  of  these 
intimately  related  species,  and  has  made  their  identification  a 
matter  of  comparatively  easy  investigation.  The  buds  may  be 
found  enclosed  in  the  base  of  the  common  stalk  (except  in  B. 
Virginianum,  where  they  are  placed  in  an  upright  cavity  at  one 


FIG. 


19.— Plant   of  Botrychium 
lunar  ia,  natural  size. 


30        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

side),  and  may  be  examined  with  a  strong  lens.     The  three  di- 
visions are  summed  up  as  follows  : 

"I.  Vernation  wholly  straight.     B.  simplex  Hitch.  (Fig.  31). 

II.  Vernation  partly  inclined  in  one  or  both  portions.     B. 
lunar  ia   Swz.  (Fig.   32),  B.  boreale  Milde,  />.  neglectum  Wood 
(Fig.  33),  and  B.  obliqiium  Michl  (Fig.  34)  and  its  allies. 

III.  Vernation  wholly  inclined,  in  the  fertile  frond  recurved. 
B.  lanceolatum  Angs.  (Fig.  35),  a-nd  B.  Vtrgmtanuiii  Swz." 

The  special  characters  of  each  species  will  be  found  under 
the  descriptions  of  the  Botrychia  later  in  this  work.  The  cuts 
will  be  valuable  for  reference,  and  will  enable  even  beginners  to 
identify  the  species  of  this  complicated  genus  with  compara- 
tively little  difficulty. 

84.  Fructification. — In  this  order  of  plants 
the  fructification  consists  of  sporangia,  which; 
unlike  those  of  the  true  ferns,  are  not  reticulated, 
possess  no  trace  of  a  ring,  open  by  a  transverse 
slit,  and  are  variously  spiked  and  panicled  (Fig. 
20).  In  the  adder-tongues  (Ophioglossum)  the 
sporangia  are  large,  and  cohere  in  two  ranks 
along  the  margins  of  a  single  spike,  opening 
transversely  to  discharge  their  copious  sulphur- 
yellow  spores.  In  the  grape-ferns  (BotrycJiium} 
the  sporangia  are  globular  and  arranged  in  double 
rows  along  the  narrow  segments,  more  or  less  in 
Panic'es-  1°  both  genera  the  sporangia  are  not 
developed  from  the  epidermal  cells,  but  arise 
from  a  transformation  of  the.  interior  tissue  of  the  leaf.  This, 
with  other  characters  as  clearly  defined,  serves  to  separate  these 
anomalous  plants  from  the  families  of  true  ferns. 

85.  Germination. — Among  the  OPHlOGLOSSACEvE,  so  far 
as  known,  the  prothallia  are  destitute  of  chlorophyll,  develop 
under  ground,  and  are  monoecious.  In  Botrychium  lunaria 
the  prothallium  is  an  ovoid  mass  of  cellular  tissue,  light  brown 
without  and  yellowish  white  within.  It  produces  a  number  of 
antheridia  and  archegonia  on  the  upper  surface  as  well  as  the 
lower,  differing  in  a  few  minor  points  from  the  true  ferns  in  the 
method  of  their  development. 


THE  FERN  ALLIES.  3 1 

LITERATURE. 

HOOKER  (W.  J.)  and  BAKER  (J.  G.).  Synopsis  Filicum,  pp. 
444-448. 

MILDE  (J.).  Botrychiorum  Monographia.  In  Verhandl.  der 
k.k.  zool.  bot.  Gesellschaft,yi\\\\,  507-516  (1868);  xix,  55-190; 
Tafel  vii,  vin  (1869);  xx,  999-1002  (1870). 

DAVENPORT  (George  E.).  Notes  on  Botrychium  simplex. 
410,  paper,  with  plates  (1877). 

Vernation  in  Botrychia.  In  Torrey  Bulletin,  VI,  193- 

199,  plate  (1878);  vii,  115,116  (1880);  vin,  100,  101  (1881).  Cf. 
also  xii,  22,  23. 

CAMPBELL  (Douglas  H.).  The  Development  of  the  Root  in 
Botrychium  ternatum.  In  Botanical  Gazette,  XI,  49-53,  with 
plate  (March,  1886). 

A  Method  of  Spore  Germination.  In  Botanical  Ga- 
zette, x,  428  (1885). 

JEFFREY  (E.  C.)-  The  Gametophyte  of  Botrychium  Virgi- 
nianum.  Ann.  Bot.,  XI,  481-486  (1897). 

PRANTL  (K.).  Beitrage  zur  Systematik  der  Ophioglosseen. 
In  Jahrb.  ties  Kon.  Bot.  Garten  (Berlin),  III,  297-350  (1884). 

B.    THE    HORSE-TAILS. 

86.  General  Characters. — The  horse-tails  or  scouring- 
rushes  belonging  to  the  genus  Equisetum  are  perennial,  rush- 
like  plants,  that  may  be  found  in  damp,  gravelly,  or  loamy  soil, 
some  species  even  growing  in  shallow  water.  Our  native  species 
vary  in  height  from  a  few  inches  up  to  eleven  feet,  as  seen 
in  some  of  the  larger  forms  of  E.  robustum.  In  some  species 
only  the  root  is  perennial,  the  stems  which  are  sent  up  for 
producing  fruit  dying  down  to  the  ground  every  year.  In  others 
the  stems  are  evergreen,  continuing  through  the  winter.  Some 
species,  like  the  common  horse-tail  (E.  ar-vense),  are  dimorph- 
ous, the  fertile  stems  being  simple  and  destitute  of  green  color- 
ing matter  (chlorophyll),  while  the  sterile  stems  are  green 
and  copiously  branched,  The  fertile  stems  of  some  other  spe- 
cies, as  E.  sil-vaticum,  which  are  simple  at  first,  after  maturing 
their  fruit  produce  branches  and  resemble  the  ordinary  sterile 
stems  (Figs.  21,  22). 


32        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

87.  The  furrowed  stems  are  hollow,  except  in  E.  sctrpoides, 
and  in  addition  to  the  large  central  cavity  there  is  a  series  of 
smaller  air-cavities  opposite  the  furrows  known  as  the  vallecular 
canals,  the  furrows  themselves  being  called  -vallecula  and  the 
ridges  carznce.  Opposite  the  carinse  there  are  still  smaller  cavi- 
ties known  as  car  mal  canals.  The  carinae  vary  in  number  from 


FIGS.  21,  M.—Equisetum  silvaticum  L.,  showing  sterile  and  fertile  stems. 
(From  Thome.) 

five  to  fifty  in  different  species.  The  stems  are  also  jointed,  and 
at  each  node  some  species  produce  a  whorl  of  branches  which 
may  be  simple  or  compound.  Some  species,  however,  like  the 
common  scouring-rush  (E.  hiemale),  produce  simple  stems. 

88.     The  leaves  are  produced  also  at  the  nodes,  and  by  the 
union  of  their  margins  form  a  short  sheath  which  ends  in  a  row 


THE   FERN  ALLIES.  33 

of  teeth.  These  teeth  may  be  deciduous  or  persistent,  and  their 
number,  varying  from  three  upwards,  indicates  the  number  of 
leaves  forming  the  united  whorl. 

89.  Stomata  (77)  are  distributed  along  the  valleculae  either 
irregularly  or  disposed  in  ranges  on  either  side  of  the  valleculae. 
The  epidermis  frequently  contains  much  silica,  and  the  rough- 
ened tubercles  of  some  species  give  the  surface  a  harsh  feeling. 

90.  Fructification. — The    fructification    in   Equisetum    is 
arranged  in  cone-like  spikes  borne  at  the  apex  of  the  fertile 
stems.     These  spikes  are  composed  of  successive  closely-placed 
whorls  of  shield-shaped,  stalked  scales  or  modified  leaves,  each 
of  which  bears  from  five  to  ten  one-celled  sporangia  on  its  under 
side.     The  sporangia  open  along  the  inner  side  to  discharge 
their  numerous  spores,  whose  outer  coat  is  spirally  split  into 
two  bands,  forming  the  so-called  elaters.     The  elaters  when  dry 
are  spread  out  at  right  angles  to  each  other  in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  and  probably  assist  in  scattering  the  spores ;   when  moist 
they  rapidly  absorb  water,  and  become  closely  coiled  around  the 
spore.* 

91.  Germination. — The    spores    of    Equisetum    retaining 
their   powers  of  germination   only  a  few  days,  soon   develop 
branched  and  irregularly  lobed  prothallia,  which  are  provided 
with  chlorophyll.     These  are  usually  dioecious,  the  male  being 
smaller,  and  producing  antheridia  at  the  end  or  margin  of  the 
larger  lobes.     The  antherozoids  are  large,  and  provided  with  a 
peculiar  appendage  known  as  the  "float."     The  female  prothal- 
lium  may  reach  one  half  inch  in  length,  and  develops  archegonia 
on  the  anterior  margin  of  the  fleshy  lobes.     The  process  of 
fertilization  is  similar  to.that  of  ferns. 


*  An  interesting  illustration  of  this  can  be  seen  by  placing  a  mass  of  fresh 
spores  on  a  slide  uncovered,  and  examining  it  with  a  low  power.  By  breath- 
ing on  the  slide  the  elaters  coil  closely  about  the  spore  ;  as  soon  as  the  moist- 
ure evaporates  they  uncoil,  and  in  their  activity  jostle  each  other  in  great 
confusion. 


34        OVR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 


LITERATURE. 

BAKER  (J.  G.).    Fern  Allies,  pp.  1-6  (1887). 

BRAUN  (Alexander).  A  Monography  of  the  North  American 
Species  of  the  Genus  Equisetum.  With  additions  by  George 
Engelmann,  M.D.  In  Silltmatt's  Journal,  XLVI,  81-91  (1843). 
Describes  the  then  known  North  American  species  of  Equisetum. 

CAMPBELL  (Douglas  H.).  The  Development  of  the  Male 
Prothallium  of  the  Field  Horse-tail.  In  American  Naturalist, 
XVI,  i-io  (Jan.  1883). 

MILDE  (J.).  Monographia  Equisetorum.  4to,  pp.  607,  with 
35  plates.  Dresden  (1865). 

NEWCOMBE  (F.  C.).  Spore  dissemination  in  Eqitisetum. 
In  Botanical  Gazette,  xm,  173-178  (1888). 

C.    THE   CLUB-MOSSES. 

92.  General  Characters. — The  club-mosses  are  chiefly 
small  perennial  plants  usually  growing  in  dry  or  moist  woods, 

or  even  on  exposed  rocks 
with  little  soil  for  nourish- 
ment. Most  of  the  species 
are  somewhat  moss-like  in 
habit,  as  might  be  suspected 
from  the  popular  names 
given  to  these  plants,  the 
genus  Lycopodium  taking 
the  name  of  club-moss  and 
Selaginella  that  of  rock- 
moss.  Various  species  of 
Lycopodium  are  also  known 
as  ground-pine,  ground-fir, 
ground-cedar,  running-pine, 
etc.,  from  more  or  less 
marked  resemblances  (Fig. 
23).  In  the  curious  Sela- 
'  ginella  lepidophylla  from 

copodium  clavatum  L.     .     .  ,  ,     , 

(After  Prantl.)  Arizona  the  branches  of  the 

closely  coiled   central  stem  roll  up  when  dry  into  a  nest-like 
ball,  and  when  moistened  expand  so  as  to  appear  flat  or  saucer- 


FIG.  23.—  Portion 


f  Lycop 

natural  size. 


THE   FER.V   ALLIES. 


35 


shaped.     As  the   plant  retains   this  power  indefinitely,  it  has 
sometimes  been  called  "  the  Resurrection-plant." 

93.  The  stems  are   usually  creeping,  yet  in  some  species 
show  a  tendency  to  become  erect,  and  most  species  send  up 
erect  branches  which  bear  the  fruit.     Most  species  bear  roots 
at  irregular  intervals  along  the  under  side  of  the  creeping  stems, 
but  our  solitary  species  of  Psilotum  is  rootless,  bearing  only 
underground  shoots  which  perform  the  functions  of  roots.  The 
leaves  are  small  and  unbranched,  in  some  instances  resembling 
appressed   scales,  in   others  resembling  the  acicular  leaves  of 
Conifers,  and  are  arranged   in  four,  eight,  or  many  ranks.     In 
some  species  the  leaves  are  of  one  kind,  while  in  others  two  or 
even  more  forms   may  occur  on  the  same  plant.     In  Psilotum 
the  leaves  are  all  rudimentary. 

94.  Fructification. — The  fructification  of  the  club-mosses 
is  chiefly  borne  on  upright  branches  in  solitary  or  clustered 
(2-5)  spikes,  which  are  formed  of  numerous  scales  or  scale- like 
leaves,  each  bearing  a  single  large  sporangium  in  its  axil.     The 
sporangia  open  transversely,    and  are 

one-celled,  except  in  Psilotum,  where 
they  are  three-celled.  In  a  few  species 
of  Lycopodium  the  sporangia  are  borne 
near  the  summit  of  the  fertile  stems 
in  the  axils  of  ordinary  leaves.  The 
usual  shape  of  the  fruit-bearing  scales 
is  represented  in  Figs.  24-26. 

95.  The     spores    of    Lycopodium 
and  Psilotum  are  of  one  kind  (Fig.  24), 
but  in   Selaginella  two   kinds  of  spo- 
rangia are   developed — the    microspo- 
rangia,   producing    numerous    micro- 
spores  (Fig.  25)  not  unlike  the  spores 
of  Lycopodium;   and     the    macrospo- 
rangia,  producing  usually  four  macro- 

Spores  (Fig.    26),  SO    Called    from    their  bearing  asporangium  in  itsaxii: 

FIGS.  25,  26.— Scales  from  fer- 

larger  size.     This   character  of  Sela-  tile  spike  of  Selaginella  rupes- 

77  u-    u   •      i-  -11  -11     tris  Spring,disclosing  two  sorts 

ginella,  which  it  shares  with  the  quill-  of  spores.    (After  Sprague.) 
worts   and    pepperworts   soon   to   be   described,  serves  as  the 
basis  for  the  division  of  the  fern  allies  into  two  groups :  the 


4. — Scale   of    spike  of 
•urn  Carolinianum  L., 


36        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

tsosporous,  producing  spores  of  one  kind  ;  and  the  Jictcrosporous, 
producing  spores  of  more  than  one  kind..* 

96.  Germination. — The    germination    of   Lycopodium    is 
only  partially  known,  as  the  prothallia  have  been  seen  in  only 
three  species,  and  in  these  they  have  not  been  carried  through 
all  the  stages  of  development.     That  of  L.  annotinum  is  a  yel- 
lowish-white mass  of  tissue  with  a  few  small  root-hairs.t     The 
antheridia  and  archegonia  are  developed  from  the  upper  side 
of  the  prothallium.     In   L.    cernuum,  TreubJ    found    the  pro- 
thallia much  smaller  (one  twelfth  of  an  inch  long),  vertical  in 
growth,  yellowish  below  and  bright  green  above.     The  anthe- 
ridia and  archegonia  are  found  round  the  summit  of  the  cylin- 
dric  prothallium. 

97.  The  germination  of  Selaginella  is  better  known.     The 
contents  of  the   ripened    microspores   are   transformed  into  a 
mass  of  tissue  consisting  of  a  few  cells,  one  of  which  remains 
sterile  and  is  considered  a  rudimentary  prothallium,  while  the 
others  give  rise  to  antherozoids,  and  are  consequently  considered 
as  a  rudimentary  antheridium.     The  macrospores,  on  the  other 
hand,  produce  a  many-celled  prothallium,  which  develop  a  few 
root-hairs  and   numerous  archegonia,  which  after  fertilization 
give  rise  to  a  new  plant.     Two  plants  are  sometimes  produced 
on  the  same  prothallium. 

98.  The  microspores  are  thus  seen  to  be  male   and  the 
macrospores   female,  showing  a   clearer  differentiation  of  sex 
in  the  products  of  the  mature  plant  than  appears  in  any  other 
group  of  the  fern  allies  already  studied.     This  may  be  consid- 
ered a  foreshadowing  of  the  vastly  more  complicated   repro- 
ductive processes  of  the  flowering  plants.     In  the  method  of 
formation  of  the  embryo  the  Selaginella  also  differs  from  all 
other  plants  of  this  group,  and  approaches  the  flowering  plants. 

*  This  division,  though  used  by  some  of  the  best  botanists,  is  at  best  an 
artificial  classification,  as  it  separates  genera  otherwise  closely  allied  to  each 
other. 

t  Cf.  J.  Fankhauser,  Botanische  Zeitung,  1873,  pp.  1-6;  Bruchmann, 
Botanisches  Centralblatt,  XXI  (1885). 

\  Cf.  Treub,  Ann.  d.  Jard.  Bot.  d.  Buitenzorg,  iv  (1884). 


THE   FERN  ALLIES. 


37 


LITERATURE. 

Fern  Allies,  pp.  7-123. 


London,  1887. 


BAKER  (John  G.). 
(George  Bell  &  Sons.) 

SPRING  (A.).  Monographic  de  la  Famille  des  Lycopodia- 
cees.  In  Memoir  es  de  I' Academie  Roy  ale  de  BeJgique,  XV,  i-no 
(1842);  xxiv,  1-358  (1849). 


so     named 


D.    THE   QUILLWORTS. 

99.  General  Characters. — The  quillworts 
from  the  appearance  of  the 
leaves,  are  principally  incon- 
spicuous aquatic  plants  of  a 
grass-like  or  rush-like  aspect 
(Fig.  27).  Some  species  afe 
always  submerged  —  often  in 
several  feet  of  water ;  others 
grow  in  marshy  soil  or  in  the 
shallow  margins  of  ponds  or 
streams,  where  they  become  ap- 
parently terrestrial  in  time  of 
low  water;  while  others  still  are 
found  between  high  and  low 
water  marks,  where  they  will  be 
covered  by  water  at  high  tide. 
The  leaves  are  awl-shaped  or 
linear,  and  are  attached  to  a 
short  fleshy  trunk.  They  vary 
in  number  from  ten  to  one  hun- 
dred in  each  plant,  and  in  length 
from  two  to  twenty  inches  in 
various  species.  On  account  of 
their  resemblance  to  the  im- 
mature forms  of  rushes  and 
other  aquatic  vegetation  of  a 

higher  order,  they  have  been  very  sparingly  collected.  Many 
questions  of  distribution,  habits,  and  life-history  may  be  studied 
by  even  amateur  botanists  in  various  sections  of  the  country. 


FIG.  27.— 
size.     (Rcdra 


L.,  natural 
from  Sprague.) 


38        OUR  NATIVE   FERXS  AXD    THEIR  ALLIES. 

In  this  way  valuable  additions  to  science  may  be  contributed 
by  those  whose  labor  misdirected  might  be  wasted. 

1  OO.  Fructification. — The  sporangia  of  the  quillworts, 
like  those  of  the  club-mosses,  are  sessile  in  the  base  of  the 
leaves.  The  leaf  base,  sometimes  called  the  sheath,  is  some- 
what triangular  from  the  broad  insertion,  convex  behind  and 
concave  in  front,  where,  there  is  a 
large  depression  known  as  \hefovea, 
which  contains  the  sporangium. 
The  margin  of  the  fovea  rises  in  the 
form  of  a  delicate  membrane  called 
the  velum,  which  in  many  species 
lies  above  the  sporangium  and  en- 
closes it.  The  sporangia  of  the  outer 
in2/."!^^"}^  en-  leaves  contain  large  spherical  ma- 
larged."  (After  Sprague.)  crospores ;  those  of  the  inner  con-, 

tain  numerous  oblong,  triangular  microspores.  The  size  and 
marking  of  the  spores  form  important  characters  in  distin- 
guishing species. 

1  O  1 .  Germination. — The  microspore  after  remaining  dor- 
mant through  the  winter  forms  a  few-celled  structure  which 
produces  the  antherozoids,  which  are  long  and  slender,  and 
provided  with  a  tuft  of  cilia  at  each  end.  The  macrospore 
produces  a  prothallium  much  as  in  Selaginella  (97) ;  from  this 
the  germ  of  the  mature  plant  arises  after  fertilization  by  the 
antherozoids. 

LITERATURE. 

BAKER  (J.  G.).     Fern  Allies,    pp.  123-134  (1887). 

BRAUN  (Alexander).  On  the  North  American  Species  of 
Isoetes  and  Marsilea.  Communicated  by  Dr.  G.  Engelmann. 
In  Sillimans  Journal,  Second  Series,  III,  52-56  (1847). 

CAMPBELL  (D.  H.).  Contributions  to  the  life-history  of 
Isoetes.  In  Annals  of  Botany,  v,  231-258,  pi.  xv-xvn  (1891). 

ENGELMANN  (George).  Isoetes  of  Northern  United  States. 
In  Grays  Manual,  Fifth  Edition  (1868). 

-  The  Species  of  Isoetes  of  the  Indian  Territory.     In  Bo- 
tanical Gazette,  III,  I,  2  (Jan.  1878). 

The  genus  Isoetes  in  North  America.     In   Trans.  St, 


THE   FERX  ALLIES. 


39 


Lout's  Acad.  Set.,  iv,  358-390  (1882).  A  valuable  monograph  of 
this  most  difficult  genus  of  the  fern  allies. 

UNDERWOOD  (L.  M.).  The  distribution  of  Isoetes.  In 
Botanical  Gazette,  XIII,  89-94  (1888). 

See  also  notes  in  Botanical  Gazette,  vr,  228. 

E.    THE   WATER   FERNS. 

1O2.  General  Characters. — This  group  includes  plants 
of  very  diverse  characters.  Some,  like  Marsilea,  root  in  mud 
and  produce  quadrifoliate  leaves.  Others,  like  Pilularia,  re- 
semble the  sterile  forms  of  Eleocharis,  or  other  sedges.  Others, 
like  Azolla  or  Salvinia,  float  on  the  surface  of  water,  sending 
numerous  roots  into  the  watei .  Marsilea  and  Pilularia  have  a 
circinate  vernation  like  the  ferns. 

1  O3.  Fructification. — The  fruit  of  Marsilea  consists  of  a 
hollow-stalked  receptacle  known  as 
the  sporocarp,  which  is  oblong  or 
rarely  globose,  and  bears  the  spo- 
rangia in  sori  on  the  inner  walls  of 
its  two  valves.  The  spores  are  of 
two  kinds,  as  in  all  rhizocarps.  The 
numerous  microspores  are  con- 
tained in  microsporangia,  while  the 
macrospores  are  solitary  in  the  few 
macrosporangia. 

1 04.  The  sporocarp  of  Pilu- 
Iraia  is  globose,  containing  from 
two  to  four  cells,  which  produce 
microsporangia  in  the  upper  portion 
and  macrosporangia  below ;  the 
microspores  are  numerous,  while  a 
single  macrospore  is  found  in  each 
sporangium. 

1  O5.  In  Azolla  the  sporocarps 
are  of  two  kinds,  borne  in  the  axils 
of  the  leaves  ;  the  larger  are  glo- 
bose, and  contain  numerous  microspores,  which  are  aggregated 
in  masses;  the  smaller  are  ovoid,  and  contain  a  single  macro- 
spore. 


FIG.  30. — Salvinia  na.fa.ns 
Hoffm..  natural  size.  (Re- 
drawn from  Thom£) 


40        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

1 06.  Salvinia   (Fig.   30),    more  often  seen   in  cultivation, 
has  the  sporocarps  borne  in  clusters  on  short  branches  of  the 
floating  stem,  one  or  two  of  each  cluster  bearing  ten  or  more 
macrosporangia,  each  of  which  contains  a  single  macrospore, 
the  remainder  bearing  numerous  globose  microsporangia  with 
numerous  microspores. 

107.  Germination. — In    Marsilea    the    antherozoids  are 
produced  in  a  rudimentary  prothallium  which  develops  from  the 
microspore  and    are    corkscrew-shaped,  consisting   of   several 
coils.     The  prothallium,  developed  from  the  apex  of  the  ma- 
crospore is  a  hemispherical  mass  of  tissue,  and  contains  a  sin- 
gle archegonium.     Much  is  yet  to  be  learned  of  the  habits  and 
life-history  of  our  native  species. 

LITERATURE. 

ANDREWS  (W.  M.).  Apical  growth  in  roots  of  Mars  ilia 
quadrifolia  and  Equisetum  arvense.  In  Botanical  Gazette,  XV, 
174-177  (1890). 

BAKER  (J.  G.).     Fern  Allies,     pp.  134-149  (1887). 

BRAUN  (Alexander).  On  the  North  American  species  of 
Isoetes  and  Marsilia.  In  Sillimaris  Journal,  Second  Series, 
in,  52-56  (1847). 

—  Ueber  Marsilia  und  Pilularia.     In  Monatsb.  der  Konigl. 
Akad.  der    Wissenschaft,   1863,  413-436;    1870,  653-753;    1872, 
635-679. 

CAMPBELL  (D.  H.).  The  systematic  position  of  the  Rhizo- 
carpeee.  In  Torrey  Bulletin,  XV,  258-262  (1888). 

—  The  development  of  Pilularia  globiilifera  L.     In  An- 
nals of  Botany,  in.  233-264,  pi.  xin-xv  (1888). 

—  On  the  Prothallium  and  Embryo  of  Marsilia  -uestita. 
In  Proc.  Cal.  Acad.  Science,  III,  183-205,  pi.  Ill,  IV  (1892). 

—  Some  notes  on  Azolla.     In  Zoe,  in,  340-343  (1893). 

—  The  development  of  the  Sporocarp  of  Pilularia  Ameri- 
cana A.  Br.  In  Torrey  Bulletin,  XX,  141-148,  pi.  CXLVI  (1893). 

ENGELMANN  (George).  New  Species  of  Marsilia.  In  Silli- 
maiis  Journal,  Second  Series,  VI  (1848). 

STRASBURGER(L.).  Ueber  Azolla.  8vo,  7  plates.   Jena  (1873). 

UNDERWOOD  (L.  M.)  and  COOK  (O.  F.).  Notes  on  the 
American  Species  of  Marsilia*  In  Torrey  Bulletin,  xiv,  89-94 
(May,  1887). 


CLASSIFICATION  AND  NOMENCLATURE.          4! 


CHAPTER   VII. 
CLASSIFICATION   AND   NOMENCLATURE. 

The  education  of  a  naturalist  now  consists  chiefly  in  learning  how  to  compare. 

— AGASSIZ. 

1 08.  Nomenclature. — The  attempts  in  later  years  to 
bring  the  system  of  plant  nomenclature  to  a  stable  basis  has 
resulted  in  a  number  of  annoying  changes  in  the  names  of 
species,  and  as  the  present  edition  contributes  something  to  the 
matter  of  change,  it  may  justly  be  expected  to  give  some  reasons 
for  these  changes.  It  is  well  known  that  before  the  time  of  Lin- 
naeus, the  method  of  naming  plants  and  animals  was  a  subject 
of  much  embarrassment  to  science,  and  the  lack  of  a  definite 
system  gave  rise  to  much  inconvenience  and  endless  confusion. 
Linnaeus  adopted  a  simple  method  of  naming  living  organisms, 
and  to  him  belongs  the  merit  of  first  extensively  and  systemat- 
ically introducing  the  binomial  system  of  nomenclature  which 
still  remains  universally  in  use.  Many  suppose  that  this  was 
his  own  invention,  but  binomial  Latin  names  for  plants  were 
used  a  hundred  years  before  Linnaeus  was  born.  Cornut,  for 
example,  in  a  rare  book  published  in  1635  *  illustrates  two  of 
our  common  ferns  under  the  names  "  Filix  baccifera "  and 
"  Adiantum  Americanum  "  —  probably  the  first  illustrations 
ever  published  of  American  species.  Genera  existed  prior  to 
Linnaeus,  and  he  was  not  always  either  wise  or  just  in  his  selec- 
tion or  use  of  names  for  those  he  recognized.  For  example,  he 
changed  the  application  of  some  of  the  names  of  that  acute 
botanist,  Tournefort  (1656-1708),  who  in  1700  published  one  of 
the  first  accounts  of  genera.t  a  much  more  scientific  treatise 
than  anything  Linnaeus  ever  produced.  Linnaeus  also  arbitrarily 
changed  names  which  his  predecessors  had  used.  Mitchell,  in 

*  Canadensium  plantarum  historia. 
t  Institutiones  rei  herbaria. 


42       OUR   NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

1751,  had  used  the  name  Aitgiopteris  for  one  of  our  American 
ferns,  but  Linnaeus  arbitrarily  substituted  one  of  his  own  (Ono- 
clea)  in  its  place. 

1  O9.  The  Linnaean  system  involved  two  names  for  every 
organism,  a  generic  or  group  name  and  a  specific  or  individual 
name.  Generic  names  are  often  from  the  Greek,  derived  from 
some  characteristic  of  growth  or  structure  (Cryptogramma, 
Cheilanthes),  or  are  Latinized  in  honor  of  some  botanist  or 
patron  of  botany  (  Woodsia),  or  occasionally  from  some  symbol- 
ical character  (Osmunda). 

\  1  O.  Specific  names  are  usually  Latin  or  Latinized,  and 
must  agree  in  gender  with  the  generic  name,  according  to  the 
rules  of  Latin  syntax.  Specific  names  frequently  indicate  some- 
thing regarding  habit  or  mode  of  growth  (bulbifera,  tomentosa, 
atropurpurea),  or  may  indicate  the  locality  in  which  the  organism 
was  first  discovered  (Californica,  Ilvensis).  A  few  take  their 
name  from  their  discoverer,  in  which  case  the  name  is  Latinized 
and  takes  a  genitive  ending  (Boottii,  Cooperee),  or  else  an  ad- 
jective form  (Goldieana,  Wrightiana). 

111.  The  advantage  of  this  binary  nomenclature  is  at  once 
evident    when    we    consider    the    immense    number    of    ferns 
alone,  to  say  nothing  of  the  remainder  of  the  vegetable  world 
and  the  hosts  of  the  animal  creation.     By  this  means  organisms 
of  complex  structure  can  be  definitely  characterized  with  com- 
paratively few  words,  and  the  scientific  name  once  established, 
is  recognized  among  scientists  of  all  nations  and  languages. 

112.  Among  some  there  is  a  tendency  to  regard  scientific 
names  with  disfavor,  on  the  ground  that  they  are  long  and  dif- 
ficult.    But  what  shall   we  say  of  Geranium,  or  Gladiolus,  or 
Fuchsia,  or  Phlox  Drummondii,  or  a  hundred  others  familiar  to 
every  lover  of  flowers  ?     Are  these  less  difficult  than  Adianlum, 
NothoJana,  Woodsia,  or  Pell&a  Brewen"?     A  little  reflection  will 
convince  a  person  of  sense  that  such  a  criticism  is  unjust. 

1  1  3.  A  worse  tendency  is  perhaps  that  which  prompts  the 
introduction  of  "  popular  names"  for  ferns  :  occasionally  a  name 
of  this  kind  is  highly  appropriate,  and  deserves  wide-spread 
adoption,  as  in  the  case  of  "  Christmas-fern  "  for  Polystichum 
acrostichoides,  suggested  by  Mr.  Robinson;  the  greater  part, 
however,  have  no  merit,  and  when  such  monstrosities  appear 


CLASSIFICATION  AND   NOMENCLATURE.          43 

as  "  Leather-leaf  Polypody "  for  Polypodium  Scouleri,  "  Mr. 
Goldie's  Shield-fern  "  for  Dryopteris  Goldieana,  nomenclature  is 
made  cumbrous  instead  of  simple. 

1  i  4.  The  Linnsean  system,  however,  did  not  prove  entirely 
stable.  In  the  early  days  when  communication  among  botanists 
was  not  easy,  the  same  plant  would  be  described  independently 
by  two  botanists  under  different  names.  Or,  in  other  cases, 
two  botanists  would  independently  establish  a  certain  generic 
group  under  different  names.  For  example,  Swartz  separated  a 
group  of  plants  under  the  name  Botrychium  which  Linnaeus 
had  included  in  Osmunda,  leaving  the  latter  name  for  the  species 
we  now  know  under  that  name.  In  the  same  year,  and  in  fact 
in  an  article  immediately  following  that  of  Swartz,  Bernhardi 
separated  the  same  two  genera,  but  left  the  Botrychium  species 
under  the  name  Osmunda,  and  took  the  true  Osmunda  species 
out  under  the  name  Struthopteris.  But  errors  of  this  kind  were 
not  the  worst  that  existed.  Botanists  frequently  cancelled  good 
names  that  already  existed,  and  deliberately  substituted  some  of 
their  own.  Lamarck  in  1797  called  one  of  our  Southern  fern 
allies  Osmunda  bitemata  ;  in  1803  Richard  called  it  Botrypus 
lunarioides,  recognizing  it  as  belonging  to  a  genus  distinct 
from  Osmunda  and  unaware  of  the  establishment  of  the  genus 
Botrychium  by  Swartz.  When  Swartz  in  1806  published  the 
first  manual  of  all  known  ferns  *  he  properly  transferred  this 
species  to  his  own  earlier  named  genus  Botrychium,  but  instead 
of  adopting  the  oldest  specific  name  he  adopted  the  later  one 
and  called  this  fern  Botrychium  hinarioides.  Willdenow  enu- 
merated the  ferns  known  to  him  in  iSiot  and  quoted  all  three  of 
these  names,  but  rebaptized  the  plant  as  Botrychiitmfumarioides. 
Sprengel,  seventeen  years  later,  quoted  all  these  names,  includ- 
ing that  of  Willdenow,  and  gave  the  plant  still  another  name, 
Botrychitwi  fumarice.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  period  of 
eruption  in  nomenclature  was  in  the  early  part  of  the  century 
instead  of  the  later,  and  largely  on  account  of  these  early 
irregularities  of  procedure  we  have  recently  been  undergoing 
something  of  an  upheaval  of  nomenclature. 

*  Synopsis  Filicum,  1806. 
t  Species  Plantarum,  vol.  5. 


44      OUR   NATURAL    FERN'S  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

\  1  5.  Synonymy. — It  may  also  be  remarked  in  this  con- 
nection that  different  authors  have  described  the  same  fern 
under  widely  different  generic  and  specific  names,  owing  (i)  to 
the  different  conceptions  that  have  prevailed  at  different  times  as 
to  what  constituted  generic  characters,  and  (2)  to  ignorance  of 
what  others  had  already  written  on  species,  redescribed  as  new. 
For  example,  the  delicate  Woodsia  Ilvensis  of  Robert  Brown  was 
described  as  Acrostichum  Ilvense  by  Linnaeus,  Polypodium  Il- 
vense by  Swartz,  Nephrodium  rufidulum  by  Michaux,  Aspidtum 
rufidulum  by  Willdenow,  and  Woodsia  rufidula  by  Beck.  Many 
other  species  have  been  as  variously  classified.  The  oppor- 
tunities for  errors  of  this  character  are  much  less  now  than  for- 
merly, yet  redescription  is  not  unknown  in  our  day. 

1  1  6.  Species. — Goethe  tells  us  that  nature  knows  only  in- 
dividuals, and  that  species  exist  only  in  the  school-books.  From 
this  extreme  there  has  been  every  grade  of  opinion  respecting 
species  to  the  one  which  regards  species  as  invariable,  actual 
existences,  types  originally  ordained  and  summoned  to  existence 
by  the  Creator.  Linnaeus,  for  example,  defined  species  in  these 
words  :  "  Species  tot  sunt  diversa,  quot  diversas  formas  ab  initio 
creavit  infinitum  ens."  *  Various  definitions  have  been  given  to 
species,  but  none  accord  with  the  actual  practice  of  systematists, 
who  seem  inclined  to  make  a  species  what  they  choose ;  and 
indeed  the  existence  of  various  connecting  forms  between 
many  species  distinct  under  normal  conditions  makes  the  prac- 
tical definition  of  the  term  almost  an  impossibility.  We  may, 
however,  for  practical  purposes,  regard  as  a  species  an  assem- 
blage of  individuals  not  differing  essentially  from  each  other, 
and  capable  of  producing  like  individuals  by  the  ordinary  pro- 
cesses of  reproduction.  A  recent  writer  defines  species  as  "  the 
present  aspect  of  a  line  of  organic  development,  destined  to 
become  something  else  in  the  future,  as  it  was  something  else 
in  the  past," — a  definition  in  accord  with  the  now  universally 
accepted  biological  doctrine  respecting  the  origin  of  species. 
Species  among  ferns  are  founded  chiefly  on  differences  in  the 
cutting  of  the  fronds  and  their  method  of  venation. 

*  There  are  as  many  different  species  as  the  Infinite  Being  created  in  the 
beginning. 


CLASSIFICATION  AND    NOMENCLATURE.  45 

1  1  7.  Varieties. — Many  forms  differing  only  slightly  from 
the  ordinary  specific  types,  and  yet  capable  of  transmitting  their 
variations  from  generation  to  generation,  are  regarded  as  vari- 
eties. It  was  the  opinion  of  a  prominent  botanist,  that  all 
so-called  varieties  among  the  lower  plants  "  were  purely  the 
result  of  the  accident  of  environment,  and  never  of  cross-fertili- 
zation." Since  a  species  which  varies  in  some  minor  particular 
is  likely  to  revert  to  the  ordinary  fo'rm  as  soon  as  the  normal 
conditions  of  soil,  moisture,  or  environment  are  restored,  there 
is  no  scientific  foundation  for  the  multiplication  of  varieties  to 
serve  as  rubbish  in  works  on  systematic  botany.  A  true  variety 
is  an  incipient  species  in  process  of  formation  ;  when  it  becomes 
sufficiently  distinct  to  be  regarded  as  a  distinct  thing  with  a 
certain  constancy  of  characters  it  is  more  logical  to  regard  it 
as  a  distinct  species.  In  cases  where  species  have  been  more 
recently  separated  from  each  other  in  their  evolutionary  progress, 
some  intermediate  forms  may  still  persist.  If  the  typical  form 
is  clearly  marked,  these  intermediate  forms  need  not  invalidate 
its  specific  rank. 

1  18.  Genera. — The  limits  of  genera  among  ferns  have  given 
rise  to  much  difference  of  opinion.  The  few  comprehensive  and 
heterogeneous  genera  recognized  by  Linnseuswere  soon  divided 
by  various  authors,  and  other  new  genera  were  based  on  new  dis- 
coveries resulting  from  the  exploration  of  newer  portions  of 
the  world.  Adanson,  Smith,  Roth,  Swartz,  Bernhardi,  Robert 
Brown,  and  others  added  genus  after  genus,  often  passing  over 
the  work  of  other  post-Linnaean  authors  and  often  unwittingly 
or  even  purposely  renamed  genera  which  had  already  well- 
established  names.  Genera  were  largely  based  on  the  varying 
arrangement  of  the  sporangia  on  the  veins,  as  well  as  the  char- 
acter, shape,  and  position  of  the  indusia.  The  English  of  the 
Hookerian  school  who  have  written  on  ferns  have  largely 
depended  on  these  characters  and  have  tended  to  recognize 
fewer  genera  than  others  of  their  countrymen  or  than  are  usu- 
ally recognized  by  Continental  botanists. 

1  19.  Presl  (1836)  was  one  of  the  first  to  establish  genera 
based  on  the  vascular  systems  of  the  plants,  particularly  their 
methods  of  venation,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  a  more  logical 
classification  of  ferns.  John  Smith,  whose  life  had  largely  been 


46         OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

spent  in  one  of  the  largest  collections  of  growing  ferns,  added  to 
Presl's  system,  characters  based  on  methods  of  growth.  Fee, 
who  gave  much  attention  to  the  ferns  of  the  West  Indies, 
Mexico,  and  Brazil,  also  established  numerous  genera.  To 
these  three  writers  and  to  Moore,  who  followed  them,  we  are 
indebted  for  a  more  liberal  and  more  consistent  conception  of 
fern  genera.  The  modern  tendency  is  toward  this  recognition 
of  a  larger  number  of  fern  genera,  depending  on  characters 
drawn  from  venation  and  from  habit  of  growth.  Such  unnatu- 
ral aggregations  of  species  as  have  hitherto  been  grouped  to- 
gether under  the  name  Gymnograme*  because  of  the  fact  that 
the  species  all  had  elongated  naked  sori  on  the  back  of  the  leaf, 
cannot  be  tolerated  in  a  system  that  professes  to  be  founded  on 
natural  relationships.  Natural  genera  must  contain  only  species 
that  are  more  closely  related  to  each  other  than  they  are  to  any 
other  species. 

1  2O.  Families.— Genera  are  grouped  in  families  according 
to  the  characters  of  the  sporangium  itself,  its  method  of  dehis- 
cence,  and  especially  its  origin  from  the  tissues  of  the  leaf. 
Eight  families  of  ferns,  if  we  include  the  eusporangiate  Ophio- 
glossacetz  and  the  heterosporous  Saltitniacea  and  Marsileacece, 
are  found  in  our  flora.  Besides  these  there  are  the  Marat- 
tiacece,  Gleicheniacecz,  and  Matoniacece  among  the  ferns  of  trop- 
ical regions.  Families  of  plants  now  have  the  uniform  termina- 
tion -acece. 

121.  Orders. — Families  are  grouped  into  orders  based  on 
still  wider  characters.  The  plants  with  fern-like  habit  make  up 
the  order  FILICALES,  though  it  is  an  open  question  if  the 
eusporangiate  types  and  heterosporous  types  ought  not  to  be 
separated  as  distinct  orders.  The  rush-like  species  forming  the 
single  family  Equisetacece  constitute  the  order  EQUISETALES,  and 
the  club-moss  types,  isosporous  and  heterosporous,  form  the 
order  LYCOPODIALES. 

1  22.  Principle  of  Classification. — The  true  idea  of  clas- 
sification is  the  grouping  together  of  objects  according  to  essen- 
tial and  fundamental  resemblances.  Every  system  is  more  or 
less  artificial,  yet  there  is  a  continual  approach  toward  the  true 

*  Cf.  Hooker  and  Baker,  Synopsis  Filicium,  pp.  376-390. 


CLASSIFICATION  AND    NOMENCLATURE.         47 

natural  system,  which  is  the  ultimatum  of  scientific  classifica- 
tion. The  study  of  life-histories  will  continually  clear  up  points 
of  relationship  before  unknown,  and  it  will  not  be  long  before 
the  classification  will  become  fixed  and  constant.  Every  real 
study  contributes  to  this  end. 

1  23.  Changes  of  Nomenclature.— Exactness  of  citation 
is  of  prime  importance,  and  in  later  years  stability  in  nomen- 
clature has  been  an  end  constantly  sought.  Nineteen  years  ago, 
when  the  first  edition  of  this  work  appeared,  the  serious  study 
of  the  higher  flora  of  America  was  largely  confined  to  a  single 
botanical  centre,  and  that  centre  followed  the  practice  of  Kew, 
the  great  royal  herbarium  of  England,  in  adopting  names  without 
particular  reference  to  principles  of  priority.  So  long  as  one 
centre  existed,  this  system  was  little  questioned.  But  soon  new 
centres  of  study  of  our  flora  were  formed,  new  workers  appeared 
fresh  from  fields  where  the  study  of  plants  in  life  had  been 
added  to  the  study  of  plants  in  the  herbarium.  These  workers 
recognized  the  fact  that  in  neglecting  priority  and  in  following 
no  fixed  principles  of  nomenclature,  grave  difficulties  were  con- 
stantly arising,  and  confusion  followed ;  they  could  not  follow  a 
system  based  on  so  uncertain  and  variable  a  standard  as  the 
personal  system  of  nomenclature.  European  botanists,  even 
Englishmen  outside  of  Kew,  recognized  the  same  difficulties. 
There  must  be  a  common  starting-point  accepted ;  there  must 
be  some  common  principles  adopted  and  followed  for  taking  up 
generic  and  specific  names.  During  the  past  ten  years  the  bo- 
tanical world  has  quite  generally  settled  down  to  1753  as  tne 
starting-point  of  nomenclature,*  and  most  adopt  the  principle 
of  priority  as  fundamental ;  t  e.,  each  generic  group  is  given  its 
oldest  tenable  name,  and  each  species  bears  the  original  specific 
name  assigned  it  whether  it  remains  in  its  original  genus  or 
is  transferred  to  some  other.  Some  examples  will  make  this 
clear  if  we  follow  the  history  of  individual  species. 

1  24. — A  simple  case  that  has  been  involved  in  a  recent 
change  of  name  is  seen  in  our  Eastern  lip-fern  (Cheilanthes) ;  the 


*  This  is  purely  arbitrary  and  has  been  selected  for  convenience  merely. 
Genera  and  species  were  clearly  denned  before  this  time. 


48       OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

history  of  this  fern  is  summed  up  in  the  following  chronological 
synonymy : 

Nephrodium  lanosum  Michx.,  1803. 

Cheilantli.es  -vestita  Swz.,  1 806. 

Cheilanthes  lanosa  Watt,  1874. 

Watt  rightly  discarded  the  specific  name  given  this  plant  by 
Swartz,  and  adopted  the  earlier  specific  one  given  by  Michaux. 
The  full  name  is  then  written 

Cheilanthes  lanosa  (Michx.)  Watt, 

the  parenthesis  noting  the  fact  that  the  specific  name  was  given 
by  Michaux  with  a  generic  combination  different  from  the  one 
in  which  it  now  stands. 

The  practice  of  a  few  botanists  has  been  to  give  a  species  the 
first  name  it  bore  under  a  genus.  In  this  case  the  plant  in  ques- 
tion would  bear  the  specific  name  vestita  so  long  as  it  remained 
in  Cheilanthes,  but  if  transferred  to  the  genus  Nephrodium  it 
would  have  to  bear  the  specific  name  tan0sum,a.nd  if  transferred 
to  some  other  genus  might  bear  still  a  third.  The  absurdity  of 
such  a  practice  is  clearly  apparent.* 

1  25. — A  case  slightly  more  complicated  is  seen  in  the  hart's- 
tongue — the  lingua  cervina  of  the  pre-Linnsean  botanists.  Its 
chronological  synonymy  is  as  follows  : 

Asplenium  Scolopendrium  L.,  1753. 

Scolopendrium  vulgare],  E.  Smith,  1793. 

Phyllitis  Scolopendrium  Newman,  1854. 

Scolopendrium  Scolopendrium  Karsten,  1883. 

The  last  name  is  perfectly  legitimate  although  a  duplication, 
and  so  long  as  the  plant  remained  in  the  genus  Scolopendrium 
that  was  its  appropriate  name.  But  the  genus  Scolopendrium 
was  founded  by  Adanson  in  1763,1  and  the  generic  name  Phyl- 
litis founded  in  pre-Linnaean  times  on  the  same  plant  was  used 
since  Linnaeus  at  least  as  early  as  1757.  This  being  true,  New- 
man's combination  is  the  correct  one  to  follow,  and  the  full  cita- 
tion would  be 

Phyllitis  Scolopendrium  (L.)  Newm. 

*  For  each  plant  or  group  there  can  be  only  one  valid  name,  and  that  is 
always  the  most  ancient  if  it  is  tenable. — A.  GRAY. 
t  Not  by  J.  E.  Smith,  1793,  as  usually  supposed. 


CLASSIFICATION  AND   NOMENCLATURE.  49 

I  26.— Still  more  complicated  is  the  ostrich-fern.  Its  syno- 
nymy is  as  follows : 

Osmunda  struthiopteris  L.,  1753. 

Onoclea  struthiopteris  Hoffm.,  1795. 

Osmunda  nodnlosa  Michx.,  1803. 

Struthiopteris  Germanica  Willd.,*  1809. 

Struthiopteris  Pennsylvania  Willd.,  1810. 

Matteitccia  struthiopteris  Todaro,  1866. 

Struthiopteris  Germanica  var.  Pennsylvanica  Lawson,  1889. 

Now  this  case  involves  several  independent  problems  that 
are  not  mere  "  battles  with  synonyms  "  :  (i)  Is  the  American  spe- 
cies the  same  as  the  European  ?  (2)  Are  we  to  take  a  superficial 
resemblance  like  the  rolling  of  the  sporophyll  into  a  necklace- 
shaped  structure  as  a  basis  for  comparison,  and  unite  a  species 
with  leaves  growing  in  crowns  from  an  upright  rootstock  and 
having  free  veins,  in  the  same  genus  (Onoclea)  with  a  plant  that 
has  horizontal  creeping  stems,  scattered  leaves,  and  copiously 
anastomosing  veins  ?  These  are  problems  on  which  human 
judgment  will  disagree  as  it  has  disagreed  in  the  past.  In  regard 
to  the  latter  question  the  practice  of  the  Kew  botanists  followed 
too  implicitly  by  us  Americans  was  adopted  in  previous  editions 
not  without  many  misgivings.  We  believe  that  the  two  ferns 
form  two  as  valid  generic  groups  as  exist ;  that  there  is  nothing 
in  common  between  them  to  indicate  community  of  origin  or 
even  anything  but  the  most  distant  relationship.  They  are 
therefore  treated  in  this  edition  as  two  genera.  In  regard  to  the 
question  of  the  identity  of  the  European  and  American  plants, 
we  will  say  that,  having  been  familiar  with  our  American  species 
from  childhood,  and  having  studied  the  European  form  in  its 
native  soil,  we  are  forced  to  the  conviction,  that  there  is  but  one 
species  on  the  two  continents.  If  this  be  the  case,  whatever  the 
generic  name  may  be,  the  specific  name  of  our  species  must  be 
Struthiopteris,  the  Linnaean  specific  name  for  the  plant. 

If  we  adopt  the  view  that  the  American  plant  is  distinct 
from  the  European,  our  plant  would  then  bear  the  specific  name 

*  Applied  to  the  American  plant  by  various  authors,  but  limited  by  Will- 
denow  to  the  European  plant. 


50       OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

nodulosa,  the  earliest  name;  Willdenow  in  establishing  the 
genus  Struthiopteris  in  1809  incorrectly  stating  as  a  fact  that  the 
American  plant  was  "  eine  noch  nicht  beschriebene  aus  Penn- 
sylvanien,"  and  not  assigning  it  a  name  until  1810. 

127. — Having  thus  fixed  the  specific  name,  what  of  the 
generic  ?  The  name  Struthiopteris  cannot  be  used  for  this  plant, 
for  when  Willdenow  assigned  it  to  this  use  it  had  been  used 
already  twice  before.  In  1760  Scopoli  used  it  for  a  genus  of 
which  Osmunda  spic ant  was  the  type;  Bernhardi  used  it  again 
in  1799*  to  include  the  species  of  the  genus  we  now  know  as 
Osmunda  to  separate  them  from  the  ill-assorted  aggregate  which 
Linnaeus  had  brought  together  under  this  name. 

Struthiopteris  must  then  stand  for  a  genus  which  hitherto 
has  commonly  been  called  Lomaria,  and  our  ostrich-fern  must 
look  farther  for  a  name.  Matteuccia,  proposed  by  a  Sicilian 
botanist  in  1866,  appears  to  be  the  first  tenable  generic  name,  and 
is  here  used  in  that  sense. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  question  of  the  proper  use 
of  botanical  names  is  by  no  means  a  simple  one.  The  botanical 
literature  of  the  world  must  be  ransacked  before  stability  can  be 
reached.  An  obscure  local  publication  in  the  Italian  language 
on  the  plants  of  Sicily  in  this  case  furnishes  the  generic  name 
for  a  plant  which  grows  in  the  northeastern  United  States  ! 

1  28.  After  specific  stability  is  settled  comes  the  equally 
interesting  problem  of  generic  stability  which  is  still  more  diffi- 
cult. This,  however,  involves  principles  that  have  never  been 
thoroughly  discussed,  and  this  subject  will  not  be  considered 
here,t  except  to  give  a  single  illustration. 

In  1799  Bernhardi  established  a  genus  of  plants  under  the 
name  Gymnopteris  based  on  a  single  West  Indian  species  which 
Linnaeus  first  described  as  Pteris  ritjfa,  but  afterwards  referred 

*  Bernhardi's  orthography  was  Strut/iopteris,  a  fact  that  has  led  an  over- 
ardent  nomenclaturist  to  abolish  the  genus  Osmunda. 

t  Those  interested  in  this  phase  of  the  nomenclature  question  will  find  a 
paper  by  the  writer  on  "  The  Genera  of  Ferns  established  prior  to  1832,"  in  the 
Memoirs  of  the  Torrey  Botanical  Club,  vi,  247-283,  1899.  On  the  general 
question  of  botanical  nomenclature  one  of  the  best  discussions  of  the  subject 
will  be  found  in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Torrey  Botanical  Club,  xxii,  308-329, 


CLASSIFICATION  AND    NOMENCLATURE.          5  I 

to  the  genus  Acrostic  hum.  Ten  years  later  Desvaux  established 
the  genus  Gymnogramma,  based  on  this  same  West-Indian 
species,  and  eleven  others  with  a  similar  method  of  forming 
their  sori.  Now  under  any  rational  system  the  name  Gym- 
nopteris  must  stand  for  that  group  of  species  which  includes 
the  Pteris  ruff  a  of  Linnaeus,  and  it  is  equally  true  that  it  could 
not  be  used  legitimately  for  any  other  group  of  plants.  To 
illustrate  how  wide  of  the  mark  certain  modern  usage  is,  it  is 
only  necessary  to  cite  a  recent  revision  of  fern  names  *  in  which 
Gvmnopterts  is  used  for  a  wholly  different  group  of  ferns  from 
that  which  contains  the  plant  Linnaeus  called  Pteris  ruffa,  and 
for  the  group  to  which  Pteris  ruffa  actually  belongs  a  name  is 
selected  that  was  not  established  until  1844,  namely,  Lepto- 
g->-aitii/ie  Link,  thus  passing  over  two  earlier  names  which  had 
priority  ! 


LITERATURE. 

The  references  to  original  writings  would  include  all  the 
botanists  who  have  named  or  classified  ferns  since  the  time  of 
Linnaeus  (1707-1778).  Among  the  more  prominent  of  these  we 
may  mention  Swartz  (1760-1818),  Willdenow  (1765-1812),  Presl 
(1791-1849),  Mettenius  (1823-1866),  Hooker  (1785-1865),  Fee 
(1789-1874),  Milde  (1824-1871),  Al.  Braun  (1805-1875),  and  J.  G. 
Baker  (  -  ).  The  following  work  gives  a  good  review 
of  the  various  systems : 

SMITH  (John).  Historia  Filicum.  London,  1875.  (Mac- 
millan  &  Co.) 

The  American  literature  bearing  on  the  subject  is  as  follows  : 

BECK  (Lewis  C).  Synoptical  tables  of  the  Ferns  and  Mosses 
of  the  United  States.  In  Sillimari s  Journal,  iv  (1829). 

DAVENPORT  (George  E.).  Aspidium  spinulosum  (Swz.)  and 
its  varieties.  In  American  Naturalist,  XII,  707-717  (1878). 

New  species  of  Ferns.  In  Bulletin  of  the  Torrey  Bot. 

Club,  vi,  190,  191  (1877)  ;  vii,  50,  51  (1880);  vin,  61,  62  (1881); 
x,  61,62  (1883). 

*  Die  naturlichen  Pflanzenfamilien.     (Engler-Prantl.) 


52        OUR   NATIVE   FERNS   AND     THEIR   ALLIES. 

Fern  notes.  In  Bidletin  of  the  Torrey  Bot.  Club,  vil,  85, 

86  (1880)  ;  vin,  88,  89  (1881);  ix,  20-23.  68,  69,  99-101  (1882)  ; 
X,  4-7  (1883);  XII,  21-24  (1885);  xiii,  81,  82,  129-135  (1886); 
XV,  225-229  (1888). 

EATON  (Daniel  C.).  Ferns  of  the  Mexican  Boundary.  In 
Mexican  Boundary  Survey  (1857). 

—  Ferns  of  the  Southern  States.     In  Chapman  :  Flora  of 
the  Southern  States  (1860). 

Ferns  of  the  Northern  United  States.     In  Gray  :  Man- 
ual of  Botany,  6th  edition  (1890). 

Notes  on  some  of  the  plants  in  the  herbaria  of  Linne 

and  Michaux.     In  Canadian  Naturalist  (1870). 

New  and  little  known  Ferns  of  the  United  States.     In 

Bulletin  of  the  Torrey  Bot.  Club,  iv,  11,  12,  18,  19  (1873)  ;  vi,  33 
(1875),  71,  72  (1876),  263-265  (-1878),  306,  307,  360,  361  (1879); 
VII,  62-64  (1880)  ;  VIII,  4,  5,  99,  100  (1881)  ;  IX,  49,  50  (1882)  ;  X, 
26-29,  101,  1 02  (1883). 

Ferns  of    North    America.     Illustrated    with    colored 

plates  by  J.  H.  Emerton  and  C.  E.  Faxon. 

—  Ferns  of   the  Southwest.     In  Wheeler:   Report  of  the 
U.  S.   Geog.  and  Geol.    Surveys  west  of  the   loo///  meridian,  VI 
(1877). 

—  Vascular  Acrogens  of  California.     In  Watson  :  Botany 
of  California,  II  (1880). 

GRAY  (Asa).  On  the  discovery  of  two  species  of  Tricho- 
manes  in  the  State  of  Alabama.  In  Sillimans  Journal,  2d  ser., 
xv  (1853). 

KUNZE  (G.).  Notes  on  some  Ferns  of  the  United  States. 
In  Sillimans  Journal,  2d  ser.,  VI,  80-89  (1848). 

UNDERWOOD  (L.  M.).  American  Ferns,  I,  II.  Bull.  Torrey 
Club,  xxv,  521-541  (1898);  xxvi,  205-216(1899). 

The  literature  relating  to  exotic  species  is  very  extensive. 
Some  of  the  more  important  works  are  the  following  : 

BAKER  (J.  G.).  A  summary  of  the  new  Ferns  which  have 
been  discovered  or  described  since  1874.  (1892.) 

FEE  (F.  L.  A.).  Memoires  sur  la  Famille  des  Fougeres. 
4to.  (1844-1873.)  289  plates. 


CLASSIFICATION  AND    NOMENCLATURE.  53 

HOOKER  (W.  J.).  Genera  Filicum.  410.  (1842.)  120  col- 
ored plates. 

Species  Filicum.  5  vols.  8vo.  (1846-1864).  304  col- 
ored plates. 

HOOKER  (W.  J.)  and  BAKER  (J.  G.).  Synopsis  Filicum.  2d 
ed.,  8vo.  (1874.)  Contains  descriptions  of  all  the  ferns  of  the 
world  recognized  at  Kew  to  the  date  of  publication. 

HOOKER  (W.  J.)  and  GREVILLE  (R.  K.).  Icones  Filicum. 
2  vols.  folio.  (1831.)  240  colored  plates. 

METTENIUS  (G.).  Filices  Hort  Botanici  Lipsiensis.  410. 
(1856.) 

—  Ueber  einige  Farngattungen.     Five  parts.    4to.     (1857- 
1859.) 

LUERSSEN  (C.).  Die  Farnpflanzen.  In  Rabenhort :  Kryp- 
togainen-Flora  Deutschlands.  8vo. 

Besides  numerous  scattered  papers  by  all  of  the  above-men- 
tioned writers,  together  with  Moore,  Kuhn,  A.  Braun,  Prantl, 
Milde,  Christ,  Jenman,  Fournier,  and  many  others. 


54        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  FERN'S  PLACE  IN  NATURE. 

1  29.  THE  popular  conception  as  to  what  constitutes  a  plant 
needs  to  be  considerably  enlarged  and  otherwise  modified,  for 
as  soon  as  we  commence  to  look  about  us  after  our  eyes  have 
been  really  opened,  we  find  a  vast  array  of  forms  varying  in  size 
and  complexity  of  structure  from  the  simple  cells  of  the  yeast- 
plant  that  we  use  in  bread-making  to  the  highly  organized  tree 
of  the  forest,  and  including  such  diverse  forms  of  growth  as  the 
green  scums  that  accumulate  on  ponds  in  summer,  the  gray 
lichens  covering  rocks  and  trees,  the  puff-balls  and  mushrooms 
that  seemingly  develop  in  a  single  night,  the  mosses,  ferns  and 
flowers  in  all  their  variety  and  beauty.  Where  in  all  this  array 
of  plants  do  our  ferns  stand,  and  what  relations  do  they  sustain 
to  other  plants  ?  In  answering  this  question  we  will  have  to 
give  some  account  cf  the  various  groups  of  plants,  pointing  out 
their  structural  peculiarities  and  noting  here  and  there  in  their 
appropriate  place  in  the  system  such  forms  as  are  likely  to  be 
popularly  recognized. 

1  3O.  Aside  from  the  plants  producing  flowers,  the  ferns 
and  the  mosses,*  all  of  which  are  widely  known  and  generally 

*  It  should  be  noted  that  even  this  name  is  often  misapplied.  The  lichens, 
which  are  in  no  way  related  to  the  true  mosses,  are  sometimes  popularly  called 
"gray  mosses."  In  "  Evangeline"  where  Longfellow  speaks  of  the  trees 
"  bearded  with  moss  "  he  evidently  alludes  to  the  lichen,  Usnea  barbata  ;  the 
"  hanging  moss"  of  the  Pacific  coast  is  also  a  lichen,  Ramalina  reticulata, 
which  has  a  much  more  appropriate  name  in  "lace-lichen."  The  "hang- 
ing moss  "  of  the  Gulf  States,  on  the  contrary,  is  a  flowering  plant  whose  near- 
est allies  are  in  the  pineapple  family.  Another  flowering  plant,  Euphorbia 
cyparissias,  is  often  called  "  graveyard  moss  "  in  the  Northern  States.  This 
loose  and  confusing  use  of  language  is  to  be  deplored,  and  those  who  know 
better  should  assist  in  relegating  these  incorrect  usages  to  a  merited  oblivion. 


THE   FERN'S  PLACE   IN  NATURE.  55 

recognized,  we  find  two  types  of  plants  of  lower  grade  which 
stand  out  prominently  to  even  the  unpracticed  eye.  Of  these 
the  first  are  mostly  green,*  and  though  variously  known  and 
named  may  be  called  collectively  algae.  Like  the  higher  plants, 
these  low  forms  maintain  an  independent  existence,  drawing 
their  nourishment  directly  from  the  air  and  water.  Of  the 
second  group  we  may  find  examples  in  the  mildew  that  spreads 
its  white  cobwebby  film  over  the  leaves  of  the  lilac,  the  willow 
and  other  plants  ;  or  in  the  rust,  red  or  black,  that  injures  our 
fields  of  standing  grain  ;  or  in  the  black  smut  that  often  re- 
places the  ears  of  corn  and  greatly  disfigures  the  plant.  Other 
examples  may  be  seen  in  the  shelving  masses  that  protrude 
from  old  stumps  or  logs,  or  in  the  bright  scarlet  cups  that  ap- 
pear on  the  ground  in  rich  woods  in  earliest  spring.  Whatever 
the  color  of  these  forms  of  plant  growth,  they  may  be  charac- 
terized as  not  green.  They  represent  a  group  of  plants  that 
require  nourishment  from  some  source  besides  air  and  water; 
some  are  parasitic — drawing  nourishment  from  living  plants  or 
animals,  while  others  are  saprophytic — living  on  decaying  or- 
ganic matter.  Though  widely  differing  in  character,  we  may 
call  them  y\\  fungi.  In  addition  to  these  forms  are  the  lichens 
which  are  intimately  related  to  some  of  the  groups  of  fungi 
and  cannot  be  considered  as  forming  a  definite  group  by  them- 
selves. 

131.  Looking  over  this  array  of  forms  we  find  that  with  all 
their  diversity  they  may  be  arranged  somewhat  naturally  in 
four  groups  as  follows,  commencing  with  the  highest : 
I.  SPERMAPHYTES.     (Seed-bearing  plants.) 

II.   PTERIDOPHYTES.     (Ferns  and  their  allies.) 

III.  BRYOPHYTES.     (Mosses  and  Liverworts.) 

IV.  THALLOPHYTES.     (Algae,  Lichens  and  Fungi.) 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  last  three  are  all  spore  producers 
instead  of  seed  producers  like  the  flowering  plants  of  the  first 

*  Observant  visitors  at  the  seaside  are  familiar  with  the  brown,  purple  and 
bright  red  "  sea-weeds"  that  belong  here  but  have  their  fundamental  green 
color  masked  by  other  coloring  matters.  These  are  sometimes  called  "sea 
mosses,"  which  is  another  unfortunate  and  confusing  use  of  a  terra  which 
ought  to  be  confined  to  its  particular  group. 


56        OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

group;  that  the  second  like  the  first  contains  plants  with  a 
highly  organized  structure;  that  the  third  is  like  the  first  two 
in  including  plants  with  a  distinct  leafy  axis,  but  differs  in  pos- 
sessing a  less  complicated  structure ;  while  the  last  differs  from 
all  the  others  in  having  no  distinction  of  stem  and  leaves.  To 
bring  out  these  and  other  characters  more  fully,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  indicate  some  hints  of  the  leading  subdivisions  of 
these  great  groups  of  plants,  will  necessitate  a  more  technical 
and  tabular  arrangement. 

1  26.  The  Thallophytes  include  the  lower  forms  of  vege- 
tation whose  plant-body  varies  from  a  unicellular  condition, 
through  filamentous  forms  to  a  more  or  less  highly  differ- 
entiated thallus.  While  some  forms,  especially  among  the 
higher  algae,  assume  the  habit  of  a  leafy-stemmed  plant,  none 
attain  to  a  true  differentiation  into  stem  and  leaves.  The 
thallophytes,  excluding  some  anomalous  groups,  may  be  arranger! 
in  three  series : 

1.  SCHIZOPHYTES,  or  fission  plants,  reproducing   by  simple 
division  and  either  unicellular  or  made  up  of  thread-like  fila- 
ments.    Two  groups  are  included  here  : 

(a)  Cyanophycea  (blue-green  algae,  nostocs,  etc.). 
(£)  Schizomycetes  (bacteria). 

2.  ALG^E,  or  seaweeds,  with  mostly  sexual  methods  of  repro- 
duction and  with  the  plant  body  varying  in   structure  from  a 
simple  cell  to  a  highly  differentiated  thallus  or  thalloid  shoot.* 
Three  classes  are  distinguished  which  may  usually  be  recognized 
by  their  color. 

(a)  Chlorophycea  (green  algae). 
(£)  Phoeophycecz  (brown  algae). 
(f)  RhodophycecB  (red  algae). 

3.  FUNGI,  including  moulds,  mildews,  and  mushrooms,  dif- 

*  The  American  student  is  very  poorly  provided  with  elementary  systematic 
literature  relating  to  the  algae. 

Farloiv :  Marine  Algae  of  New  England  (Report  U.  S.  Fish  Comm. 
1879),  partially  covers  a  limited  area  of  marine  forms.  For  the  fresh-water 
forms  Wolle:  Fresh-water  Algae  of  the  United  States,  is  the  only  work  that 
has  attempted  to  cover  this  ground. 


THE  FERN'S  PLACE   IN  NATURE.  57 

fering  from  the  algae  in  possessing  no  chlorophyll,  and  in  the 
higher  forms  in  the  loss  of  sexual  methods  of  reproduction.* 
Three  classes  are  distinguished  : 

(a)  Phycomycetes  (algal  fungi). 

(b)  Ascomycetes  (spore-sac-fungi  lichens).f 

(c}  Bastdiomycetes  (mushrooms,  puff-balls,  rusts). 

1 33.  The    BRYOPHYTES   include   forms  whose   plant-body 
varies  from  a  thallus  to  a  distinct  leafy  axis  containing  only  a 
rudimentary  fibro-vascular  system,  if  any;  their  life-history  in- 
volves two  alternating  phases:    (i)  A  highly  organized  sexual 
phase  producing  antherids  and  archegones  (Gametophyte);  and 
(2)  A  spore-producing  phase  living  parasitically  on  the   first 
and   forming  spores   asexually.     Four  groups  are  prominently 
marked : 

1.  Hepaticce  (liverworts).  J 

2.  Anthocerotes  (horned  liverworts).}: 

3.  Sphagna  (peat  mosses). § 

4.  Musci  (true  mosses)  .§ 

1 34.  The   PTERIDOPHYTES  have  a  well-developed    fibro- 
vascular  system  with  highly  differentiated  tissues  distributed 
through  a  leafy  axis.     Their  life-history  involves  two  phases: 
(i)  A  thalloid  phase  (prothallus)  producing  antherids  and  arche- 
gones ]|   (gametophyte) ;    and   (2)    A   highly  developed  asexual 

*  For  an  elementary  work  on  the  systematic  study  of  the  fungi  the  student 
can  use  "Moulds,  Mildews,  and  Mushrooms"  by  the  present  writer  (Henry 
Holt  &  Co.). 

t  The  lichens  are  mostly  ascomycetous  fungi  parasitic  on  algse.  Tucker- 
man  :  North  American  Lichens,  is  the  best  systematic  work,  but  difficult  for 
students. 

I  The  Hepaticae  of  the  Eastern  States  have  been  treated  by  the  present 
writer  in  Gray's  Manual  of  Botany,  6th  ed.  Those  of  the  Pacific  coast  have 
been  elaborately  described  and  illustrated  by  Hoiue  :  The  Hepaticas  and  An- 
thocerotes of  California,  Mem.  Torrey  Club,  vol.  7. 

§  The  mosses  of  North  America  are  treated  in  synoptical  form  in  Barnes  : 
Artificial  Keys  to  the  Genera  and  Species  of  Mosses  (1897).  This  should  be 
supplemented  by  the  descriptions  in  Lesquereux  and  James :  Manual  of  the 
Mosses  of  North  America  (1884). 

|  From  this  common  character  the  Bryophytes  and  Pteridophytes  are  some 
times  classed  together  as  Archegoniates. 


$8         OUR   NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

phase  producing  spores  (sporophyte).  The  subdivisions  of  this 
group  are  systematically  treated  in  the  latter  half  of  this  volume. 
1  35.  THE  SPERMAPHYTES  include  the  highest  forms  of  the 
plant  world.  The  plant-body  (except  in  rare  cases,  like  Lemna 
and  Podostemoti)  is  a  well-developed  leafy  axis  containing  highly 
differentiated  tissues.  The  plant  is  asexual,  producing  pollen 
(microspores)  in  the  anthers,  and  embryo-sacs  (macrospores)  in 
the  pistils.  The  sexual  or  gametophyte  stage  is  greatly  reduced, 
and  the  process  of  fertilization  of  the  egg  by  one  of  the  nuclei 
of  the  germinating  pollen-grain  is  too  complicated  to  discuss 
here.  The  result  of  this  fertilization  is  a  seed  containing  an 
embryo.  Three  principal  groups  are  recognized  : 

1.  Gymnosperma  (conifers,  cycads,  etc.). 

2.  Monocotyledons  (grasses,  palms,  lilies). 

3.  Dicotyfedonae  (roses,  oaks,  maples,  asters,  etc.). 

1  36.  To  make  the  relations  of  the  various  groups  of  pteri- 
dophytes  to  each  other  and  to  the  lower  forms  of  plant  life  more 
apparent  than  can  be  done  in  a  lineal  classification,  we  present 
on  the  next  page  an  outline  of  a  tentative  genealogical  tree. 


LITERATURE. 

BOWER  (F.  O.).  The  comparative  study  of  the  Meristem  of 
Ferns  as  a  phylogenetic  study.  In  Annals  of  Botany,  in,  305- 
322,  pi.  xx-xxiv  (1889). 

Is  the  Eusporangiate  or  the  Leptosporangiate  the  more 

primitive  type  in  the  Ferns?  In  Annals  of  Botany,  v,  109-134, 
pi.  vn  (1891). 

CAMPBELL  (Douglas  H.).  On  the  affinities  of  the  Filicineae. 
In  Botanical  Gazette,  XV,  1-7  (1890). 

A  study  of  the  apical  growth  of  the  prothallium  of  Ferns 

with  reference  to  their  relationships.  In  Bulletin  of  the  Torrey 
Botanical  Club,  XVIII,  73-80  (1891). 

— —  On  the  relationships  of  the  Archegoniata.  In  Botanical 
Gazette,  xvi,  323-333  (1891). 


THE  FERN'S   PLACE   IN  NATURE. 


GYMNOSPERM/C 

SELAGINELLACE/C 

ISOETACE/t 


POLYPODIACE/E 


SPHAGNACE/E 


PHYCOMYCETES 


iROTOCOCCOIDE/E 


PROVISIONAL  PBDIGREK  OF  THE  LEADING  GROUPS  OF  PLANTS. 


60         OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIED 


CHAPTER   IX. 
DISTRIBUTION   IN   TIME  AND   SPACE. 

1  37.  Geographic  Distribution. — Ferns  are  found  in  all 
parts  of  the  world.  The  number  of  described  species  is  not 
certainly  known,  and  the  uncertainty  is  largely  increased  for 
the  reason  that  our  best  systematists  do  not  agree  as  to  what 
constitutes  a  species.  Baker  places  the  estimate  at  about  3000 
species.  Added  to  these  are  565  fern  allies  as  recognized  by 
the  same  author.  The  full  number  is  probably  much  greater 
than  this  very  conservative  estimate. 

From  what  has  been  said  respecting  the  climatic  conditions 
of  fern  growth  we  would  naturally  expect  to  find  them  most 
abundant  in  countries  where  warmth  and  moisture  predomi- 
nate. These  conditions  seem  most  completely  met  on  tropical 
islands  or  in  tropical  continental  areas  with  insular  climates. 
The  little  island  of  Mauritius,  having  an  area  of  676  square 
miles,  or  less  than  one  third  the  area  of  Delaware,  has  235  na- 
tive species,  while  Java,  little  larger  than  New  York,  has  460. 
Brazil  furnishes  387,  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  117.  Com- 
paring these  with  colder  climates,  we  find  67  in  all  Europe,  and 
only  26  grow  within  the  borders  of  the  arctic  zone. 

"  Our  Native  Ferns,"  as  described  later  in  this  volume,  in- 
cluding those  species  that  are  classed  in  the  order  FILICES, 
number  170  species.  Adding  to  these  the  22  species  of  the 
order  OPHIOGLOSSACE^E,  which  have  frequently  been  enumer- 
ated with  the  ferns,  we  have  a  total  of  192  species.  The  remain- 
ing fern  allies  number  87,  making  a  grand  total  of  279. 

138.  Divisions  of  our  Flora.— It  has  been  found  con- 
venient to  divide  the  surface  of  the  earth  into  faunas  and  floras, 
limited  by  the  natural  distribution  of  the  various  species  of 


DISTRIBUTION  IN   TIME  AND    SPACE.  6 1 

animals  and  plants.  These  limits  are  by  no  means  sharply 
defined,  for  wherever  the  limit  is  made  some  species  will  pass 
beyond  it ;  yet  the  majority  found  on  one  side  are  different 
from  the  majority  of  those  on  the  other.  North  America  (ex- 
cluding Mexico)  forms  the  Nearctic  realm  or  fauna  (Regnum 
Nearcticitm},  and  the  same  boundaries  may  be  used  in  the  limi- 
tation of  our  fern  flora,  although  some  species  from  tropical 
regions  invade  our  borders  in  Florida,  Texas,  and  Arizona. 
Leaving  out  of  question  the  species  that  are  widely  distributed 
over  the  greater  part  of  our  country,  many  of  which  are  cos- 
mopolitan species,  we  may  divide  the  Nearctic  realm  into  five 
provinces,  each  of  which  possesses  many  species  peculiar  to  itself. 
139.  The  provinces*  are  as  follows  : 

I.  BOREAL  :  inhabiting  (with  a  few  exceptions)  the  northern 
portion  of  the  United  States,  extending  through  Canada  and 
British  America,  some  species  even  reaching  Labrador,  Green- 
land, and  Alaska,  and  nearly  all  represented  also  in  the  north- 
ern portions  of  the  Old  World. 

II.  MEDIAL  :  extending  throughout  the  mountain  and  hilly 
region  of  the  States  east  of  the  Mississippi,  westward  to  the 
mountains,  and  northward  into  Canada,  and  in  a  few  instances 
also  inhabiting  the  Old  World. 

III.  OCCIDENTAL  :  extending  along  the  western  border  of 
the   continent   from  British  Columbia  to  California,  in  a  few 
cases  appearing  also  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region. 

IV.  SONORAN  :  inhabiting  the  central  mountain  regions  of 
Western  Texas,  Arizona,  and  Colorado,  many  of  the  species  ex- 
tending thence  into  Mexico,  and  some  even  to  South  America. 

V.  AUSTRAL  :  inhabiting  the  border  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
many  of  the  species  extending  into  the  West  Indies  and  Tropi- 
cal America. 

1  4O.  Geologic  Distribution. — It  is  well  known  that  the 
plants  and  animals  now  existing  on  the  earth  are  not  the  same 
in  kind  as  those  of  former  ages.  Geologists  have  carefully 
studied  the  stony  heart  of  nature,  and  have  drawn  therefrom 

*  This  division  is  a  slight  modification  of  one  proposed  by  John  H.  Red- 
field  in  1875.     Cf.  Bulletin  Torrey  Botanical  Club,  VI,  1-7. 


62        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

the  story  of  the  development  of  land  and  sea,  and  the  succes- 
sive populations  that  from  time  to  time  have  held  possession 
of  our  globe.  Plants  furnishing  the  natural  food  for  animals 
must  have  preceded  animal  life,  yet  in  the  earliest  geologic 
ages  the  remains  of  animals  are  far  more  numerous.  The 
abundance  of  the  deposits  of  graphite  and  iron-ore  in  the  earli- 
est or  Archaean  rocks  indicates  the  existence  of  extensive  plant 
growth,  but  the  remains  are  so  transformed  as  to  make  it  im- 
possible to  determine  the  character  of  this  primeval  vegetation. 

141.  In  the  succeeding  Silurian  age  the  fossil  remains  in- 
dicate the  existence  of  algae  or  sea-weeds  in  abundance,  and  a 
single  small  species  of  ground  pine  attests  the  existence  of  some 
of  the   higher  Cryptogamia ;    no    ferns,   however,   have   been 
found  in  America  older  than  the  Devonian.     Over  fifty  species 
of  Devonian   ferns   have  been  described   from   the   American 
rocks  chiefly,  by  Principal  J.  W.  Dawson  of  Montreal. 

142.  It  is  in  the  coal  measures,  however,  that  ferns  and 
other  Cryptogamia  are  found   in  the  greatest  abundance  and 
profusion.     Their  delicate  foliage  is  impressed  on  the  various 
rock  strata  above  the  beds  of  coal,  and  so  perfectly  are  they 
preserved  that  not  only  the  methods  of  fructification  but  even 
the  microscopic  spores  have  been  detected  !     In  the  coal  meas- 
ures of  the  United  States  and  Canada  (counting  from  the  base 
of   the   Catskill),  381    species   of    ferns   have   been   described, 
chiefly  by  Prof.  Leo  Lesquereux.     The  most  abundant  Ameri- 
can  genera  are  Neuropteris  45   species,   Pecopteris  50  species, 
Sphenopteris  31  species,  Pseudopecopteris  25  species,  and  Rha- 
cophyllum  24  species. 

The  frontispiece  gives  an  ideal  representation  of  the  vegeta- 
tion of  the  Carboniferous  age.  The  luxuriant  tree-ferns,  the 
Lfpidodendrids,  ancient  representatives  of  the  diminutive  club- 
mosses  or  ground-pines,  the  Calamites,  allies  of  the  modern 
scouring-rushes,  and  other  forms  no  less  wonderful,  are  seen  in 
their  profusion. 

143.  In  the   later  geologic  ages,   Mesozoic  and   Tertiary, 
ferns  are  found  preserved  in  the  rocks,  with  the  leaves  of  many 
trees  and  shrubs  of  existing  genera.     The  indications  are  that 


DISTRIBUTION  IN   TIME   AND    SPACE.  63 

lerns  formed  a  far  smaller  part  of  the  vegetation  of  these  later 
ages  than  in  the  preceding  Carboniferous,  and  even  approxi- 
mated to  that  of  the  present.  Six  Cretaceous  and  twenty-four 
Tertiary  species  have  been  catalogued,*  including  species  in 
the  existing  genera  Lygodium,  Pterts,  Woodivardia,Dryopteris, 
Gymnogramme,  etc.,  as  well  as  some  related  to  genera  abundant 
in  earlier  formations.  No  living  species  is  found  fossil,  unless 
Dr.  Newberry's  variety  of  Onoclea  sensibilis  becomes  estab- 
lished.t  In  the  course  of  geologic  history,  however,  we  can 
trace  a  gradual  approximation  to  the  modern  types  from  the 
generalized  forms  of  Devonian  and  Carboniferous  times. 

144.  Fern  Allies. — Ophioglossum  dates  back  to  the  Ter- 
tiary period  with  one  species.  The  order  EQUISETACE^E  have 
existed  since  the  coal  period  and  the  genus  Equisetitm  since  the 
Triassic.  The  order  CALAMARIACE/E,  which  combined  charac- 
ters of  modern  Equiseta  and  Conifers,  came  into  existence  in  the 
Devonian,  but  became  extinct  before  the  close  of  the  Permian. 
Illustrations  of  Calamites  can  be  seen  at  the  left-hand  corner  of 
the  frontispiece,  also  under  the  tree-fern  in  the  centre.  The 
club- mosses  proper  have  been  in  existence  since  the  Devonian, 
and  the  genus  Lycopodium  since  the  Carboniferous.  Selaginella 
has  never  been  found  fossil,  but  its  near  relatives  belonging  to 
the  extinct  orders  LEPIDODENDRACE^E  and  SIGILLARIACE.E 
were  very  abundant  in  the  Palaeozoic  era,  particularly  during 
the  Carboniferous,  where  they  formed  the  largest  part  of  the 
forest  vegetation,  reaching  in  some  instances  a  height  of  sev- 
enty to  one  hundred  feet.  The  former  possessed  characters 
connecting  modern  club-mosses  with  Conifers,  while  the  latter 


*  Tenth  report,  Hayden  Geological  Survey  of  the  Territories.  Washing- 
ton, 1878. 

t  Prof.  Lesquereux  writes  me:  "Though  analogous  by  the  nervation,  I 
doubt  the  identity  on  account  of  the  coriaceous  character  of  that  fossil  fern, 
which  I  have  not  seen  in  any  variety  of  O.  sensibilis  now  living. "  Principal 
Da  wson,  however,  writes :  "The  Onoclea  sensibilis  of  the  Laramie  is  truly 
that  species,  and  I  have  found  with  it  in  our  Manitoba  formations  another 
modern  fern,  Davallia  tenuifolia." 


64       OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

seem  to  connect  the  club-mosses  with  the  Cycads.  Restora- 
tions of  Lepidodendron  may  be  seen  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the 
frontispiece,  and  of  Sigtllaria  on  the  right.  Isoetes  dates  back 
to  the  Miocene  (Tertiary)  and  Marszlza  and  Pilularia  to  the 
same  period. 


OUR  NATIVE   PTERIDOPHYTES. 


PTERIDOPHYTA   Cohn. 

Plants  containing  vascular  tissue  and  manifesting  two  distinct 
phases  in  their  life-history:  (i)  An  asexual  phase  (sporophyte) 
differentiated  into  stem  and  leaves,  producing  spores  and  de- 
veloping vascular  tissue  in  bundles  throughout  their  stems  and 
leaves ;  and  (2)  A  sexual  phase  (garnet  op  hyte)  developed  from 
the  germination  of  the  spore  in  the  form  of  a  cellular  thallus 
(prothalliuni)  on  which  the  sexual  organs— antheridia  and  arche- 
gonia — are  produced  ;  from  the  egg  of  the  archegonium  fertilized 
by  the  antherozoids  from  the  antheridia  arises  the  asexual 
phase  from  which  the  characters  used  in  classification  are 
largely  drawn.  Besides  several  groups  that  have  become  extinct 
the  Pteridophytes  are  represented  by  three  orders  :  I.  FILICALES, 
containing  the  ferns  and  waterworts ;  II.  EQUISETALES  (see 
p.  126 )  including  the  horsetails  and  scouring  rushes;  and 
III.  LYCOPODIALES  (see  p.  130),  containing  the  ground-pines 
and  quillworts. 

SYNOPSIS  OF  THE  ORDER  FILICALES. 
(FAMILIES.) 

1.  Spores  uniform,  of  one  sort 3 

Spores  of  two  sorts  (minute  microspores  and  large  macrpspores)  ...     6 

2.  Sporangia  rising  from  the  tissues  beneath  the  epidermis  (eusporangiate), 

borne  in  spikes  or  panicles  ;  vernation  straight  or  inclined. 

Family  i.  OPHlOGLOSSACEjE,  p.  66 

Sporangia  rising  from  the  epidermal  cells  (leptosporangiate),  borne  on  the 
back  or  margin  of  a  leaf  (frond)  or  rarely  in  panicles ;  vernation  circi- 
nate 3 

3.  Sporangia  sessile,  with  a  complete  ring  borne  on  a  thread-like  receptacle 

from  a  cup-like  involucre  ;  texture  filmy. 

Family  2.  HYMENOPHYLLACE^E,  p.  74 
Sporangia  borne  on  the  back  or  margin  of  the  leaf  or  in  spikes  or  panicles.   4 

4.  Plants  terrestrial 5 

Plants  aquatic  ;  sporangia  sessile,  scattered,  in  a  specially  folded  leaf. 

Family  5.  CERATOPTERIDACE^E,  p.  78 

5.  Sporangia  sessile,  ovate,  with  an  apical  ring,  opening  longitudinally,  mostly 

in  panicles  or  solitary  under  a  scale.     .      Family  3.  SCHIZ^ACE^:,  p.  75 


66       OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

Sporangia  with  a  rudimentary  ring,  opening  longitudinally,  in  panicles. 

Family  4.  OSMUNDACK^E,  p.  77 
Sporangia  stalked,  with  a  complete  ring,  opening  transversely. 

Family  6.  POLVPODIACEJE,  p.  78, 
6.  Rooting  in  mud  ;  leaves  filiform  or  quadrifoliate. 

Family  7.  MARSILEACE^E,  p.  123 
Floating  ;  leaves  spongy Family  8.  SALVINIACE^E,  p.  125 

Family  I.    OPHIOGLOSSACE^  Lindl. 

Plant-body  consisting  of  stem  and  leaf,  usually  from  a  fleshy 
sometimes  bulbous  root,  straight  or  inclined  in  vernation. 
Eusporangiate,  the  sporangia  formed  of  the  interior  tissues, 
variously  clustered  on  sporophylls  in  the  form  of  spikes  or  pani- 
cles, destitute  of  a  ring,  opening  by  a  transverse  slit  into  two 
valves  and  discharging  their  copious  sulphur-yellow  spores. 
Prothallium  (so  far  as  known)  subterranean,  not  green,  monoe- 
cious. The  family  contains  about  six  genera,  three  of  which  are 
represented  in  America. 

Our  genera  may  be  distinguished  as  follows  : 

1.  Sporangia  in  spikes  cohering  in  two  ranks 2 

Sporangia  free,  in  compound  spikes  or  panicles  ;  leaf  mostly 

divided III.  BOTRYCHIUM.- 

2.  Spike  solitary;  leaf  simple,  entire,  attached  to  the  middle  of 

the  common  stalk  or  below;  terrestrial.   I.  OPHIOGLOSSUM. 

Spikes  several,  pendent  from  near  the  base  of  a  palmately 

divided  leaf ;  epiphytic II.  CHEIROGLOSSA. 

I.  OPHIOGLOSSUM  L.  ADDSR-TONGUE. 
Sporangia  large,  coriaceous,  connate,  coherent  in  two  ranks 
on  the  edges  of  a  simple  spike.  Leaf  simple,  attached  at  the 
middle  of  the  main  stalk  or  below,  entire  ;  veins  anastomosing. 
Spores  copious,  sulphur-yellow.  Terrestrial.  Name  from  Gr. 
o#zs,  a  serpent,  and  yXoaaa,  a  tongue.  Includes  twenty  or 
more  species,  six  in  our  limits. 

*  With  several  equal  parallel  "veins  at  the  base  of  the  leaf,  the 
mid-vein  seldom  branched  hit  anastomosing  -with  lateral  -veinlets. 

\  Leaf  ovate  to  elliptic,  large  ;  basal  -veins,  9 — 13  or  more. 

i.  O.  vulgatum  L.  Rootstock  cylindric,  often  large  and 
tuberous;  leaf  ovate  to  elliptic,  often  oblanceolate,  i' — 4'  long; 


OPHIO  G  L  OSS  A  CE&.  6? 

base  usually  long  and  narrow;  basal  veins  9 — ir,  the  lateral  con- 
nected above  by  short  oblique  veinlets  which  form  long  narrow 
areolse  in  the  middle  of  the  leaf,  and  shorter  hexagonal  ones 
near  the  margin  and  apex,  the  longer  usually  with  one  short 
straight  free  veinlet ;  apex  obtuse  ;  spike  £' — 2'  long.  Quebec  to 
Florida ;  also  in  California. 

2.  O.  Engelmanni   Prantl.     Rootstock  cylindric  with  long 
brown  roots  often  sheathed  at  the  base ;  leaf  elliptic  or  lan- 
ceolate-elliptic, obtuse  but  sharply  apiculate,  i' — 3^'  long ;  basal 
veins  1 3  or  more,  the  outer  arcuate ;  transverse  veinlets  large, 
oblique,    forming    broad    oblong-hexagonal    areolae    enclosing 
numerous    anastomosing   or   free   veinlets;    spike   f—  i'  long. 
Virginia  and  Indiana  to  Texas  and  Arizona. 

1 1  Leaf  small,  lanceolate;  basal  -veins  3 — 7. 

3.  O.  arenarium  E.  G.  Britton.      Plant  3' — 8'  high  from  a 
slightly  thickened  rootstock ;  leaf  i' — 2'  long,  J' — £'  wide,  lanceo- 
late with  a  long  tapering  base  with  an  obtuse  apex ;  basal  veins 
5 —  7,  the  median  straight,  the  latter  nearly  parallel  connected  with 
short  oblique  veinlets  forming  long  narrow  areolas  with  a  few 
faint  free  or  anastomosing  veinlets ;    marginal  areolae  shorter 
and   more  irregular;  spike  V — i'  long,  often  twisted,  apiculate. 
Plants  gregarious.     Holly  Beach,  New  Jersey. 

4.  O.  Californicum  Prantl.     Plants  small,  I '-3'  high  from 
cylindric  tuberous  rootstocks;  leaf  $' — i'  long,  lanceolate  or  ovate, 
acute  or  obtuse  ;  basal  veins  3,  the  median  stronger,  the  lateral 
branched;    transverse   veinlets   oblique,   forming   long   narrow 
areolse  with  few  or  no  free  veinlets  ;  spike  J' — £'  long  with  10 — 
1 5  sporangia  on  either  side.     Southern  California. 

**  IV it h  few  or  several  unequal  veins  at  the  base  of  the  leaf, 
the  midvein  branching  and  commonly  continuous  to  the  apex. 
f  Root  stock  not  thickened;  plants  4' — 6'  high. 

5.  O.  Alaskanum    E.   G.    Britton.       Rootstock   unknown; 
leaf   i' — 2^'  long,   i'  wide,  ovate  or  ovate-lanceolate,  suddenly 
dilated  above  the  cuneate  clasping  base,  apex  obtuse  or  acute, 
never  apiculate;  basal  veins  9 — 1 1,  the  midvein  usually  giving  off 
1—4  branches;  lateral  veins  divergent  from  the  base,  forming 
regular  hexagonal  areolae  including  several  free  or  anastomosing 
veinlets;  spike  J'— f  long,  apiculate  with  8 — 21   sporangia  on 
either  side.    Unalaska  Island  ( Turner)* 


68        OUR   NATIVE   FERNS   AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

\\  Rootstock  tuberous  or  globose;  plants  i'— 2^'  high. 

6.  O.  pusillum  Nutt.    Plants  i'— 4'  high  from  a  short  slightly 
tuberous  rootstock;  leaf  small,  cuneate-lanceolate  or  ovate,  \ — f 
long,  rising  near  the  base  of  the  stem  ;  basal  veins  3,  the  midvein 
branching  by  lateral  veinlets  which  form  narrow  areolae  with  no 
free  veinlets;  spikes  i' — i'  long  with  6 — 14  sporangia  on  either 
side.    (O.  nudicaule  of  former  edition  not  of  L.  fil.,  which  is  an  Af- 
rican plant;  O.  tenerum  Mett.)    Georgia  to  Florida  and  Louisiana. 

7.  O.  crotalophoroides  Walt.     Plants   i'— 4'  high  from  a 
large  globose  rootstock ;  leaf  \' — ij'  long,  concave,  broadly  ovate 
and  cordate  at  base,  the  apex  acute ;  basal  veins  5,  the  midvein 
rarely  branched,  the  lateral  freely  anastomosing,  forming  short 
hexagonal  areolae  with  rarely  a  free  veinlet;  spike  short,  broad, 
£' — i'  long  with  4—1 1   sporangia  on  either  side.     (O.  bulbosiun 
Michx.)     South  Carolina  to  Florida  and  Texas. 

II.     CHEIROCLOSSA    Presl. 

Sporangia  large,  coriaceous,  coherent  in  two  ranks  on  the 
edges  of  simple  or  rarely  forked  spikes.  Leaf  palmately  lobed, 
irregular,  bearing  several  spikes  at  or  below  its  base.  Veins 
anastomosing.  Spores  copious.  Epiphytic.  Name  from  Gr. 
Xeip,  hand,  and  yXo<r<ra,  tongue.  A  single  tropical  species. 

i.  C.  palmata  (L.)  Presl.  Rootstock  thick,  tuberous,  cov- 
ered with  fine  woolly  chaff ;  leaf  fleshy,  4'— 8'  long,  on  a  stem 
nearly  as  long,  palmately  divided  into  2 — 9  broadly  spreading 
lobes,  rarely  simple  and  lanceolate  ;  basal  veins  5 — 8,  repeatedly 
branching  and  anastomosing,  forming  long  hexagonal  areolae 
without  free  veinlets;  spikes  i — 16,  on  short  stalks,  i'  or  more 
long;  spores  large.  On  palmettos,  Florida  and  tropical  America. 

III.  BOTRYCHIUM  Swz-  GRAPE-FERN. 
Rootstock  very  short,  erect,  with  clustered  fleshy  roots,  the 
bud  for  the  next  year's  growth  usually  imbedded  in  the  base  of 
the  stipe.  Sterile  segment  of  frond  pinnately  or  ternately  di- 
vided or  compound.  Fertile  segment  i — 3-pinnate,  with  double 
rows  of  sessile,  naked  sporangia.  Veins  free.  Spores  copious, 
sulphur-yellow.  Name  from  Gr.  fforpvs,  a  bunch  of  grapes, 
alluding  to  the  clustered  sporangia.  Contains  about  thirty 
species,  of  which  fifteen  are  found  in  our  limits. 


OPHIOGLOSSACE&.  6$ 

§  i.  EUBOTRYCHIUM.     Bud  enclosed  in  the  base  of  the  stalk. 

*  Leaf  rising  from  above  the  middle  of  the  stem. 
t  Vernation  erect  in  sterile  segment ;  stems  thickly  sheathed 
•with  remnants  of  former  years. 

1.  B.  pumicola  Coville,  sp.  nov.     Rootstock  vertical,  reach- 
ing a  length  of  3^'  and  a  diameter  of  i-J",  with  an  abundance  of 
roots  a  half  line  or  less  in  diameter ;  stem,  together  with  the  seg- 
ments of  the  frond,  reaching  a  height  of  4',  the  former  about 
twice  the  height  of  the  latter,  and  in  ordinary  specimens  i" — 2" 
in  diameter,  the  lower  half  or  two-thirds  thickly  sheathed  with  the 
dark  brown  remnants  of  the  stems  of  previous  years  ;  frond  glau- 
cous, the  sterile  segment  nearly  sessile,  reaching  a  length  of  i', 
ternate,  the  divisions  nearly  sessile,  the  lateral  ones  about  half  or 
two-thirds  the  length  of  the  middle  one,  each  pinnately  parted 
into  fan-shaped  somewhat  one-sided  lobes,  these  with  crenulate 
margins  and  usually  two  to  three  lobules,  the  lowermost  lobes  of 
the  middle  division  sometimes  distinctly  pinnatifid  into  several 
lobules;  fertile  segment  in  most  specimens  a  little  longer  than 
the  sterile,  bipinnate,  or  one  or  both  the  lowest  branches  some- 
times so  developed  as  to  indicate  a  tendency  to  ternate  division ; 
bud  with  sterile  segment  erect,  the  axes  of  the  lobes  horizontal. 

Growing  in  pumice  soil  on  the  summit  of  Llao  Rock,  Crater 
Lake,  Oregon,  at  an  elevation  of  about  9000  ft.  (Coville  and 
Applegate,  1898.) 

t  f  Vernation  partly  inclined  in  one  or  both  segments. 

2.  B.  tenebrosum  A.  A.  Eaton.     Plant  i' — 7'  high,  averag- 
ing 2}' — 3',  one-third  of  which  is  below  ground  ;  slender,  fleshy, 
light  green  or  yellowish  after  fruiting,  transparent  when  dry; 
leaf  above  the  middle  of  the  stem,  often  immediately  under  the 
sporophyll,   short-petioled,   entire,   lobed,   or  usually  with    I — 3 
pairs  of  distant  alternate  lunate  decurrent  entire  segments  ;  the 
apex  emarginate  or  with  a  triangular  elongation ;    sporophyll 
usually  short-stalked,  simple,  or  rarely  with  one  or  two  short, 
somewhat  dilated  branches,  bearing  alternate  or  nearly  opposite 
clusters  of  sporanges ;  spores  very  large,  verrucose ;  sporophyll 
not  bent  in  vernation.     Rich  shady  situations,  usually  among 
maples   at  the    border  of  swamps ;    Massachusetts  and   New 
Hampshire  to  Central  New  York. 

3.  B.  lunaria   (L.)    Swz.    MOONWORT.       Plant   very  fleshy, 


70       OUR   NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

2|' — 12'  high.  Leaf  usually  sessile,  borne  at  or  above  the  mid- 
dle of  the  stem,  pinnate  with  2 — 8  pairs  of  lunate  or  fan-shaped 
lobes  which  vary  from  crenate  to  entire  and  are 
either  close  and  imbricated  or  somewhat  distant; 
sporophyll  2 — 3-pinnate,  often  dense,  i' — 2'  long, 
often  about  the  height  of  the  sterile ;  apex  only 
of  the  leaf  bent  over  the  nearly  straight  sporo- 
phyll in  vernation.  Greenland  to  Alaska,  south 
to  New  York,  Colorado,  and  British  Columbia. 
4.  B.  neglectum  Wood.  Plant 2' — I2'high, 
often  very  fleshy.  Sterile  portion  borne  above 
the  middle  of  the  stem,  short-  fi^ 

stalked,  ovate  or  oblong,  i — 2- 
pinnatifid  or  rarely  2-pinnate, 
with  obtuse  divisions  and  narrow 
toothed  segments :  midveinsdis- 
FIG.  31.— Verna-  appearing  by  continued  branch- 

tion  of  B.  lunaria 

Swz.  (After  Dav-  ing ;  sporophyll  2 — 3-pmnate, 
often  much  branched ;  spores 
tuberculate;  apex  of  both  leaf  and  sporophyll 
turned  downward  in  vernation.  (B.  matricaria:- 
folium  of  former  editions,  not  of  A.  Br.,  and 
apparently  distinct  from  the  species  of  Europe.) 
Nova  Scotia  to  New  Jersey,  west  to  Ohio  and 
Washington. 

5.  B.  boreale  (Fries)  Milde.  Plant  2^' — 7', 
smooth,  fleshy ;  sterile  segment  placed  above  the 
middle,  sessile,  cordate,  ovate  or  deltoid,  pin- 
nately  parted,  acute;  lowest  segment  spreading 
from  a  narrower  base,  ovate  or  cordate-ovate, 
acute,  all  entire,  or  here  and  there  flabellately  FIG.  32.— Verna- 
incised  with  acute  lobes,  or  pinnately  parted  ;  /l°>'/  Wood!  "(After 
secondary  segments  from  a  narrowed  base,  ovate,  DavenP°rt 
acute,  serrate,  the  upper  spreading,  quickly  decreasing,  finally 
elliptical,  acute  ;  fertile  segment  bi— tripinnate,  panicled.  Apex 
of  sterile  segment  bent  over  inside  of  the  nearly  erect  fertile 
one  in  vernation ;  divisions  of  the  sterile  segment  arranged  on 
an  angle.  Unalaska. 

1 1  Vernation   wholly  inclined,  recurved  in   the  sporophyll ; 
leaf  triangular,  sessile. 


OPHIOGLOSSA  CEJE. 


6.  B.  lanceolatum  (S.  G.  Gmel.)  Angs.    Plant  3'— 12' high, 
somewhat  fleshy.     Leaf  closely  sessile  near  the  summit  of  the 
stem,  f— 2'  wide,  3-lobed  or  broadly  trian- 
gular and  2-pinnatifid,  the  ultimate  segments 

lanceolate,  acute,  oblique,  entire  or  dentate  ; 
midvein  continuous,  with  forking  veinlets  ; 
sporophyll  slightly  overtopping  the  leaf, 
short-stalked,  2— 3-pinnate,  recurved  its 
whole  length  with  the  shorter  leaf  reclined 
upon  it  in  vernation.  Nova  Scotia  to  Alaska, 
south  to  New  Jersey,  Ohio,  Colorado,  and 
Washington.  Also  in  Europe  and  Asia. 
June-July. 

*  *  Leaf  rising  from  near  the  rootstock. 

f  Vernation  wholly  straight ;  bitd smooth  ; 
leaf  entire  or  2—6-lobed. 

7.  B.  simplex  E.Hitchcock.   Plant  2'— 

5'  high,  slender,  very  variable.  Leaf  ovate, 
obovate,  or  oblong,  entire,  lobed,  or  pinnately 
parted,  borne  near  the  base  of  the  stem  ; 
sporophyll  a  simple  or  slightly  compound 
spike,  sometimes  reduced  to  only  a  few  spo- 
ranges;  spores  large  for  the  genus,  minutely 
tuberculate ;  apex  of  leaf  and  sporophyll 
FiG.34.-Vemation  of  erect  in  vernation.  Nova  Scotia  to  Maryland, 

B.sim/>tex  Hitchcock.  ,,T  .  ,    „    ....  - 

(After  Davenport.)       west  to  Wyoming  and  California  (?). 

ft  Vernation  inclined ;  leaf  ample,  ternately  compound. 
\  Spores  maturing  in  early  spring  ;  leaf  sessile  or  nearly  so, 

8.  B.  biternatum  (Lam.)  Underw.— Plant  3'— 6'  high,  bear- 
ing a  nearly  sessile,  broadly  triangular  ternately  compound  leaf, 
3'— 4'  wide,  2'   high;   middle  division  slightly  larger  than  the 
lateral  ones  and  like  them  nearly  bipinnate ;  ultimate  divisions 
rather  lunate,  usually  not  exceeding  2"— 3"  in  width,  the  outer 
margin  crenulate,  the  lateral  margins  decurrent  into  the  short 
branches   of   the   rachis ;    sporophyll  on   a    rather  stout  stalk, 
bipinnate,  with  a  rather  broad  rachis ;  bud  smooth  or  slightly 
hairy,    the   segments    nearly   erect.      (B.   lunarioides   Swz.,   B. 
fumarioides   Willd.,  B.  fumarice   Spreng.,    Osmioida    biternata 
Lam.)     South  Carolina  to  Louisiana,  apparently  not  common. 


72        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 


1 1  Spores  maturing  in  autumn  ;  leaf  long-stalked. 
\  Ultimate  leaf-segments  laciniate,  narrow,  £"  or  less  wide. 

9.  B.  dissectum  Sprang. — Plant  6' — 15'  high,  with  slender 
fleshy  stems.     Leaf  long-stalked  from  near  the   base  of  the 
stem,  with  broadly  deltoid  basal  divisions,  decompound  ;  sec- 
ondary pinnae  lanceolate  from   a  broader  base,  pinnate  with 
laciniate  and  deeply  cut  pinnules,  the  ultimate  divisions  diver- 
gent, often  2-toothed  at  their  apices,  usually  less  than  i  mm. 
wide  ;   sporophyll   long-stalked,  2 — 3-pinnate ;   bud   pilose,   en- 
closed in  the  base  of  the  stem,  both  portions  bent  in  vernation. 
New  England  (where  a  more  compact  variety  is  more  common) 
to  Virginia  and  inland  to  Kentucky  and  Indiana. 

||  ||  Leaf-segments  small,  rounded,  or  obliquely  ovate,  i|" — 3'' 
wide  ;    plant  small  (leaf  i' — 2'  wide). 

10.  B.  matricarise  (Schrank)  Spreng.   Plant  4'— 6'  high,  with 
slender  fleshy   stems ;   leaf  moderately   short-stalked,   ternate, 
small,  i'—  2'  wide  and  high,  the  three  divisions  similar,  bipin- 
natifid  or  bipinnate ;  ultimate   segments   small,    i^'' — 3"  wide, 
rounded  or  somewhat  obliquely  ovate,  the  margins  undulate  or 
crenate ;   sporophylls  rather  long-stalked  for  the   size   of   the 
plant,  2 — 3-pinnate  with  large  sporanges  ;  bud  pilose.     Northern 
New  England  and  New  York  and  northward. 

I  Hi  Leaf-segments  obliquely  ovate,  large,  5"-lo"  long.  (Eastern^ 
n.  B.  obllquum  Muhl.  Plant  robust,  7'— 20'  high;  leaf 
rising  from  near  the  base  on  a  stalk  3' — 4' 
long  or  more,  ternate  with  the  three  divisions 
nearly  equal,  bipinnate  or  somewhat  tripin- 
natifid  in  larger  forms,  the  ultimate  segments 
obliquely  ovate  or  oblong-lanceolate,  the 
terminal  one  of  each  division  elongate,  all 
5" — 10"  long,  2^" — 4"  wide,  the  margins  cre- 
nate or  serrate;  sporophyll  long-stalked  tri- 
quadripinnate ;  bud  densely  pilose,  both  por- 
tions bent  in  vernation.  (B.  ternatian  in 
part,  of  former  editions,  not  of  Swz.,  which 
was  Thun berg's  Osmunda  ternata  from  Japan.) 
New  Brunswick  to  Florida  and  Mexico  and 
westward  to  Minnesota. 

Var.  intermedium  (D.  C.  Eaton)  Underw. 
Plant  larger,  the  leaf  on  a  shorter  stalk  i' — 2' 


•TIG.  35. — vernation 
of  B.  obliquum  Muh!. 
(After  Davenport.) 


OPHIOGLOSSACE^E.  73 

long,  the  leaf  sometimes  reaching  6'  each  way;  lateral  divisions 
smaller  than  the  terminal ;  ultimate  segments  similar  to  the 
type,  but  mostly  shorter.  Northern  New  York  and  New 
England.  The  limits  of  this  variety  are  not  fully  understood. 

1 1 1  I  Leaf-segments  ovate  or  roundish  ;  plant  large  and  stout. 
(Western). 

A.  Leaf -stalk  short  (i'  or  less) ;  segments  crowded. 

12.  B.  Coulter!  Underw.     A  stout  fleshy  plant  growing  in 
geyser  formations.     Roots  numerous,  fleshy,  stout;  stem  very 
short,   i'  or  less  long,  very  stout,  7" — 10"  in  diameter,  swollen 
with  the  contained  bud  of  the  succeeding  season,  soon  dividing 
to  form  the  sporophyll  and  leaf;  petiole  very  short,  i'  or  less 
long,  stout,  sulcate  in  drying ;  sterile  lamina  about  6'  wide,  the 
central  portion  nearly  4'  long,  this  and  the  lateral  ones  tripin- 
nate,  or  quadripinnatifid  ;  segments  obliquely  ovate,  5"  or  more 
long,  2'  or  more  wide,  thick,  fleshy,  th«  margin  entire  or  slightly 
repand ;   veins  few,  scarcely  perceptible ;   sporophyll  about  7' 
long ;  panicle  quadripinnate  below,  the  pinnae  crowded,  gradu- 
ally simpler  above;   sporangia  very   numerous,  bright  yellow; 
spores   copious,    pale   yellow.     In   geyser   basins,    Yellowstone 
National  Park ;  Montana. 

B.  Leaf -stalk  longer  (4' — 6')  or  more  ;  segments  more  scattered. 

13.  B.  occidentale  Underw.     Roots  fibrous,  fleshy;    stem 
short,  i' — 2'  long,  2"  or  more  in  diameter;  leaf-stalk  4' — 5'  long, 
rather  slender;   leaf  very  large,  7' — 8'  broad,   5' — 6'  high,  the 
lateral  divisions  bipinnate  with  about  five  pairs  of  mostly  oppo- 
site pinnse ;   terminal  division  tripinnatifid,  gradually  simpler 
above ;    ultimate  segments   nearly  oval,  mostly  narrow  (under 
3"  wide),  the  margins  finely  and  irregularly  crenulate;  texture 
fleshy,  the  veins  indistinct;  sporophylls  16'  long,  including  the 
panicle,  which  ranges  from  4' — 6',  tripinnate  almost  throughout 
its  entire  length ;  bud  densely  covered  with  white  silky  hairs. 
Washington,  Oregon,  and  British  Columbia. 

14.  B.  silaifolium  Presl.     Plant  robust,  15' — 2°  high;  com- 
mon stem  rather  short,  i' — 2'  long ;  leaf-stalk  ;  stout  3' — 6'  long ; 
leaf  very  large,  8' — 10'  or  more  wide,  5' — 8'  high;  formed  of  a 
larger  central  division  and  two  lateral  ones ;   divisions  nearly 
tripinnate ;   ultimate  segments   ovate,  the  lowest  outer  series 


74       OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

often  trilobed  ;  sporophyll  long-stalked,  much  overtopping  the 
leaf,  the  panicle  ample,  5' — 8'  long.  California  to  British 
Columbia. 

§  2.  OSMUNDOPTERIS  Milde.  Bud  pilose,  enclosed  in  a 
smooth  upright  cavity  at  one  side  of  the  lower  part  of  the  stalk. 
^  15.  B.  Virginianum  (L.)  Swz.  (RATTLESNAKE-FERN.) 
Plant  from  a  few  inches  to  two  feet  high ;  sterile  segment  ses- 
sile above  the  middle  of  the  stalk,  broadly  triangular,  thinly 
herbaceous,  ternate;  the  short-stalked  primary  divisions  once 
to  twice  pinnate,  then  once  or  twice  pinnatifid ;  lobes  oblong, 
cut-toothed  toward  the  apex ;  fertile  segment  long-stalked,  bi — 
tripinnate.  Bud  pilose,  enclosed  in  a  smooth  upright  cavity  at 
one  side  of  the  lower  part  of  the  stalk  ;  fertile  segment  recurved 
its  whole  length,  the  longer  sterile  segment  reclined  upon  it. 
Reduced  forms  are  B.  gracile  Pursh.  {Botrypus  Virginicus 
Michx.,  Osmunda  Virginiana  L.)  New  Brunswick  to  Florida, 
and  westward  to  Arizona  and  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Family    2.    HYMENOPHYLLACE^E    Endl. 

Plant  body  consisting  of  a  creeping  stem  bearing  scattered 
leaves  of  a  filmy  consistency,  usually  translucent.  _  Sporangia 
provided  with  a  ring,  sessile  on  a  thread-like  receptacle  which 
is  surrounded  at  base  by  a  cup-shaped  or  two-valved  involucre. 
The  family  contains  several  genera,  mostly  of  tropical  regions, 
only  one  of  which  is  represented  in  our  flora. 

L  TRICHOMANES  Sm.  FILMY-FERN. 
Sori  marginal,  terminating  a  vein,  more  or  less  sunken  in 
the  frond.  Sporangia  sessile  on  the  lower  part  of  a  cylindrical, 
filiform,  often  elongated  receptacle.  Indusia  tubular  or  funnel- 
shaped,  entire  or  two-lipped  at  the  mouth.  Fronds  delicate, 
pellucid.  Name  from  Gr.  rpixofitaveS,  the  name  of  some  fern, 
from  rpi'x,  hair,  and  /taivojuai,  producing  frenzy,  alluding  to 
some  supposed  property.  A  tropical  and  temperate  genus  con- 
taining nearly  100  species. 

§    EUTRICHOMANES. 

i.  T.  Petersii  Gray.  Stipes  i" — 2"  long;  fronds  3" — 10" 
long,  i" — 2"  broad,  oblong-lanceolate  or  obovate,  entire  or  vari- 


SCHIZ^A  CEsE.  7  5 

ously  pinnatifid,  the  younger  ones  with  a  few  black  hairs  along 
the  margins;  indusjum  solitary,  terminal,  funnel-shaped,  the 
mouth  expanded  and  slightly  two-lipped,  the  receptacle  in- 
cluded. Winston  County,  Alabama  (Peters).^ 

2.  T.  radicans  Swz.  Rootstock  wiry,  tomentose ;  stipes 
ascending,  i' — 3'  long,  naked  or  nearly  so,  usually  broadly 
winged  ;  fronds  2' — 8'  long,  i' — ij'  wide,  lanceolate  or  ovate- 
lanceolate,  bipinnatifid  ;  pinnae  ovate,  obtuse,  the  upper  side  of 
the  base  parallel  and  appressed  to  the  winged  rachis,  the  lower 
side  cuneate ;  divisions  toothed  or  divided  into  linear  lobes ; 
indusia  terminal  on  short  lobes,  tubular  or  funnel-shaped,  the 
mouth  slightly  two-lipped ;  receptacle  exserted  little  or  very 
much.  (T.  spectosum  Willd.)  Alabama,  Tennessee,  Kentucky. 

Family  3.    SCHIZ/EACE/E    Presl. 

Plant-body  consisting  of  a  short  or  creeping  stem  (rootstock) 
bearing  clustered  or  scattered  leaves.  Sporangia  ovate  or  pyri- 
form,  provided  with  an  apical  ring,  bursting  longitudinally  at 
maturity.  The  family  contains  about  ten  genera,  three  of  which 
are  represented  in  our  region. 

Our  genera  may  be  distinguished  as  follows  : 

1.  Leaves  twining;  leaflets  in  pairs,  palmate  .     .       I.  LYGODIUM. 
Leaves  erect  or  merely  curled 2 

2.  Sporophylls  distinct  from  the  grass-like  leaves. 

III.    SCHIZiEA. 

Sporophylls  borne  on  the  elongate  lower  pinnae  of  an  ordi- 
nary leaf II.  ORNITHOPTERIS. 

I.  LYCODIUM  Swz.  CLIMBING-FERN. 
Sporangia  ovoid,  solitary  or  occasionally  in  pairs,  in  -the 
axils  of  large  imbricated  scale-like  indusia,  which  are  fixed  by 
their  broad  bases  to  short  oblique  veinlets.  Fronds  scandent, 
twining,  bearing  stalked  and  variously  lobed  divisions  in  pairs. 
Veins  mostly  free.  Name  from  Gr.  hvyoadrjS,  flexible,  alluding  to 
the  scandent  stems.  Includes  25  species. 

§   EULYGODIUM. 

I.  L.  palmatum  (Bernh.)  Swz.  Stipes  slender,  twin- 
ing; fronds  i° — 3°  long,  the  short  alternate  branches  or  peti- 


/6       OUR  NATIVE    FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

oles  2-forked,  each  fork  bearing  a  round-cordate  palmately  4 — 7- 
lobed  pinnule ;  fertile  pinnules  above,  contracted,  several  times 
forked,  forming  a  terminal  panicle ;  surfaces  naked  ;  texture 
thinly  herbaceous.  (Hydroglossum  palmatum  Willd.)  Mas- 
sachusetts and  New  York  to  Kentucky  and  Florida. 

II.     ORNITHOPTERIS   Bernh. 

Sporangia  ovate,  sessile,  placed  in  two  rows  on  the  back  of 
the  very  narrow  branchlets  of  the  two  long-stalked,  panicled, 
lower  branches  of  a  pinnately  divided  frond,  the  fertile  branches 
in  a  few  species  entirely  distinct  from  the  sterile  frond.  Veins 
free.  Name  from  Gr.  opvis,  bird,  and  nrepi?,  fern.  A  genus 
mostly  of  tropical  America  containing  about  35  species. 

I.  O.  adiantifolia  (L.)  Bernh.  Rootstock  creeping  ;  stipes 
i£°  long,  firm,  naked  ;  fronds  sparingly  pubescent,  the  two  lower 
branches  elongate,  pinnately  decompound,  fertile;  sterile  por- 
tion deltoid-ovate,  bi — tripinnate  ;  ultimate  segments  obovate 
or  cuneate,  entire  or  lobed,  striate  above  with  numerous  flabellate 
veins.  (Anemia  adiantifolia  Swz.)  Florida. 

-•  O.  Mexicana  (Kl.)  Underw.  Rootstock  creeping,  cov- 
ered with  narrow  blackish  chaff;  stipes  slender,  scattered,  6'—  12' 
long;  the  two  lower  branches  of  the  frond  fertile,  long-stalked, 
glandular,  bipinnate  with  densely  clustered  fructification ;  the 
rest  of  the  frond  like  the  sterile  ones,  deltoid-ovate,  simply  pin- 
nate ;  pim.ae  about  six  pairs  and  a  rather  large  terminal  one, 
short-stalked,  ovate-lanceolate,  subcoriaceous,  smooth  and  some- 
what glossy  ;  midrib  distinct,  veins  free,  oblique,  parallel,  closely 
placed.  (Anemia  Mexicana  Klotzsch.)  Western  Texas. 

III.     SCHIZ^EA   Sm.     CURLY-GRASS. 

Sporangia  large,  ovoid,  striate  rayed  at  the  apex,  naked,  ver- 
tically sessile  in  a  double  row  along  the  single  vein  of  the  nar- 
row divisions  of  the  fertile  appendages  to  the  slender  and  sim- 
ply linear,  fan-shaped,  or  dichotomously  many-cleft  fronds. 
Name  from  Gr.  (rxi^eiv,  to  split,  alluding  to  the  forked  sterile 
fronds  of  foreign  species.  Includes  16  species. 

§  EUSCHIZ/EA. 

i.  S.  pusilla  Pursh.  Sterile  fronds  linear,  very  slender, 
flattened  and  tortuous ;  fertile  ones  equally  slender,  3' — 4'  high, 


OSMUND  A  CEM.  77 

and  bearing  at  top  the  fertile  appendage  consisting  of  about  five 
pairs  of  crowded  pinnae,  forming  a  distichous  spike.  New  Jer- 
sey ;  Grand  Lake,  Nova  Scotia  (E.  G.  Kntghf)  ;  Newfoundland 
(De  la  Pyl'aie,  Wag  home). 

Family  4.    OSMUNDACE^E    R.    Br. 

Plant  body  a  stout  suberect  stem  (rootstock)  with  clustered 
leaves.  Sporangia  with  a  rudimentary  ring,  opening  longitudi- 
ally,  borne  in  panicles  on  altered  portion  of  the  leaf.  The  family 
contains  three  genera,  only  one  of  which  is  represented  with  us. 

I.     OSMUND  A    L.     FLOWERING-FERN. 

Fertile  fronds  or  fertile  portions  very  much  contracted, 
bearing  short-pedicelled,  naked  sporangia  on  the  margin  of  the 
rachis-like  divisions.  Sporangia  large,  globular,  opening  by  a 
longitudinal  cleft  into  two  halves,  bearing  near  the  apex  a  few 
parallel  striae,  the  rudiment  of  a  transverse  ring.  Spores  green. 
Named  for  Dsmunder,  a  Saxon  name  for  the  divinity  Thor.  A 
genus  containing  six  species  mostly  north  temperate. 
*  Fronds  bipinnate,  fertile  at  the  apex. 

1.  O.  regalis  L.     Stipes  tufted,  i° — \\°  long,  erect,  naked  ; 
fronds  2°— 4°  long,  i°  or  more  broad  ;  sterile  pinnae  6' — 12'  long, 
2 — 4'  broad  ;   pinnules  oblong-ovate  to  lance-oblong,  sessile  or 
slightly  stalked  ;  the  fertile  pinnules  cylindrical,  panicled  ;  tex- 
ture subcoriaceous ;  rachis  and  both  sides  naked.     (O.  specta- 
bilis  Willd.,  O.  glaucescens  Link.)     Canada  to  Florida  and  Mis- 
sissippi. 

**  Sterile  fronds  bipitinatifid. 

2.  O.  Claytoniana    L.     Stipes    tufted,    i°    or    more    long, 
clothed  with  loose  woolly  tomentum  when  young,  naked  when 
mature;  fronds  i° — 2°  long,  8' — 12'  broad;  pinnae  oblong-lan- 
ceolate with   oblong,  obtuse   divisions;   2 — 5  pairs  of  central 
pinnae  fertile     fertile  pinnules  dense,  cylindrical  ;  texture  her- 
baceous.    (O.  interrupta  Michx.)     Canada   to  Kentucky,  and 
northward. 

3.  O.  cinnamomea  L.    (ClNNAMON-FERN.)    Stipes  dense- 
ly tufted,  i°  or  more   long,  the  sterile  and  fertile  fronds  dis- 


78        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

tinct,  clothed  when  young  with  ferruginous  tomentum  ;  sterile 
fronds  smooth  when  mature,  the  pinnae  bearing  a  tuft  of  tomen- 
tum at  the  base  beneath,  lanceolate,  cut  into  broadly  oblong, 
obtuse  divisions  ;  fertile  fronds  contracted,  bipinnate,  with  cin- 
namon-colored sporangia.  In  var.frondosa  Gray,  some  of  the 
fronds  are  sterile  below,  and  sparsely  fertile  at  the  summit. 
(O.  Claytoniana  Conrad.)  New  England  and  Wisconsin  to. 
Florida. 

Family  5.    CERATOPTERIDACE/E  Underw. 

Plant  body  a  short  succulent  stem  with  copious  aquatic 
roots  bearing  a  rosette  of  succulent  leaves  of  two  sorts.  Spo- 
rangia irregularly  scattered,  sessile,  with  a  broad  ring  or  often 
devoid  of  one  altogether.  The  family  is  represented  by  a  single 
genus  and  species. 

I.     CERATOPTERIS    Brong.     FLOATING-FERN. 

Sori  placed  on  two  or  three  veins  which  run  down  the  frond 
longitudinally,  nearly  parallel  with  both  the  edge  and  midrib. 
Sporangia  scattered  on  the  receptacles,  sessile,  subglobose, 
with  a  complete,  partial,  or  obsolete  ring.  Indusia  formed  of 
the  reflexed  margins  of  the  frond,  those  of  opposite  sides  meet- 
ing at  the  midrib.  Name  from  Gr.  Kepa^,  horn,  and  TcrepiS,  a 
fern.  Contains  a  single  tropical  species. 

i.  C.  thalictroides  (L.)  Bnyig.  Stipes  tufted,  inflated, 
filled  with  large  air-cells;  fronds  succulent  in  texture,  the 
sterile  ones  floating  in  quiet  water,  simple  or  slightly  divided 
when  young,  bi — tripinnate  when  mature  ;  fertile  ones  bi — tri- 
pinnate  ;  ultimate  segments  pod-like.  Southern  Florida. 

Family  6.     POLYPODIACE/E   Presl. 

Plant  body  consisting  of  a  creeping  or  erect  stem  (root- 
stock)  bearing  scattered  or  clustered  leaves  (fronds).  Spo- 
rangia borne  on  the  back  or  margin  of  the  leaf  in  lines  or 
rounded  masses  (sori),  stalked,  provided  with  a  vertical  elastic 
ring,  breaking  open  transversely  at  maturity.  Sori  either  naked 


POL  YPODIA  CE&.  79 

or  covered  when  young  with  a  membranous  indusium  which  is 
either  a  special  outgrowth  of  the  leaf  or  is  formed  from  the 
more  or  less  altered  leaf  margin.  Prothallium  green,  monoe- 
cious or  rarely  dioecious.  The  family  contains  four-fifths  of  all 
the  ferns,  comprising  a  hundred  or  more  genera,  of  which 
twenty-nine  are  represented  within  our  limits.  They  may  be 
distinguished  by  the  following 

ARTIFICIAL    SYNOPSIS   OF   GENERA. 

i.  Sporophyll  closely  rolled  together,  entirely  unlike  the  sterile  leaf,  its  seg- 
ments berry-like  or  necklace-like 20 

'  Sori  covered  with  indusia 2 

Sori  naked 3 

»  2.  Sori  marginal,  covered  with  a  reflexed  portion  of  the  leaf  margin  .     .  10 

Sori  dorsal  or  submarginal,  provided  with  special  indusia       ....  ^4 

3.  Sori  spread  in  a  stratum  on  the  under  surface  of  the  leaf. 

I.  ACROSTICHUM,  p.  81 

Sori  roundish,  or  not  more  than  twice  as  long  as  broad 4 

Sori  usually  linear,  always. more  than  t \vicg_as  long  as  broad      ...       7  V 

4.  Stipes  articulated  to  the  rootstock ;  leaves  (in  our  species)  entire  or  simply 

pinnate 5 

Stipes  not  articulated  to  the  rootstock ;  leaves  (in  our  species)  bi — tripin- 
natifid  or  ternate XXII.  PHEGOPTERIS,  p.  108 

5.  Veins  free  or  uniting  irregularly  (often  indistinct).     II.  POLYPODIUM,  p.  81 
Veins  copiously  uniting  (species  sub-tropical) 6 

6.  Primary   veins  distinct   to   the   edge,    connected   by  parallel   transverse 

veinlets IV.  CAHPYLONEURON,  p.  83 

Areolz  regular,  each  with  two  or  more  free  veinlets  bearing  sori  on  their 

apices       III.  PHLEBODIUM,  p.  83 

Areola?  copious,  irregular  with  free  veinlets  spreading  variously. 

V.  PHYMATODES,  p.  84 

7.  Leaves  simple 8 

Leaves  pinnate  to  quadripinnate 9 

8.  Leaves  very  narrow,  grass-like ;  veins  indistinct,  free. 

IX.    VlTTARIA,  p.  89 

Leaves  broader ;  reins  anastomosing     .     .  VIII.  CHEILOGRAMMA,  p.  88 

9.  Sori  marginal,  more  or  less  confluent  in  a  marginal  band. 

VII.    NOTHOL^ENA,  p.  85 

Sori  dorsal,  following  the  veinlets,  simple,  forked,  or  pinnate. 

VI.  GYMNOPTERIS,  p.    84 


80       OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

10.  Sporangia  at  the  ends  of  the  veins,  borne  on  a  reflexed  portion  of  the 

margin  of  the  leaf X.  ADIANTUM,  p.  89 

•    Sporangia  borne  on  a   continuous,  marginal,    vein-like   receptacle   con- 
necting the  apices  of  the  veins   ii 

Sporangia  at  or  near  the  ends  of  unconnected  veins,  borne  on  the  under 
surface  of  the  leaf 12 

11.  With  an  inner  indusium  inside  the  receptacle      .  XII.  PTERIDIUM,  p.  91 
.    With  no  inner  indusium  ;  our  species  pinnate     .     .       XI.   PTERIS,  p.  90 

12.  Fronds  conspicuously  dimorphous ;  stipes  light-colored. 

XIV.  CRYPTOGRAMMA,  p.  97 
Fronds  nearly  uniform  ;  stipes  usually  dark-colored 13 

13.  Sori  on  the  upper  part  of  the  veins,  mostly  forming  a  continuous  mar- 

ginal band  ;  indusium  membranous,  continuous  round  the  segment. 

XV.  PELL.-EA,  p.  97 

Sori  minute,  at  the  ends  of  the  veins ;  indnsium  interrupted,  or  if  con- 
tinuous, the   ultimate   segments   usually  small   and  bead-like ;    leaves 
mostly  chaffy,  woolly,  or  farinose,  .     .     .     XIII.  CHEILANTHES,  p.  91 
/•*4.  Sori  roundish  ;  indusia  not  more  than  twice  as  long  as  broad     .     .     .     15  . 
Sori  linear  or  oblong ;  indusia  more  than  twice  as  long  as  broad    .     .    21 

•^15.  Indusium  superior,  attached  by  the  centre  or  sinus i& 

Indusium  convex,  fixed  by  a  broad  base  partly  under  the  sorus, 

XXVIII.  FILIX,  p.  119 

Indusium  inferior 19 

"16.  Sori  mostly  on  the  back  of  the  veins 17 

Sori   at   the   end   of    a  free  vein  ;   indusium   reniform,   opening  toward 
the  margin  of  the  leaf,  which  is  simply  pinnate,  the  pinna;  articulated 

to  the  rachis XXVII.  NEPHROLEPIS,  p.  118 

>J7.  Indusia  centrally  peltate 18 

Indusia  cordate  or  reniform,  attached  by  the  sinus. 

XXIII.  DRYOPTERIS,  p.  no 

18.  Veins  free,  i — 2-forked XXIV.   POLYSTICHUM,  p.  115 

Veins  3 — s-forked,  often  uniting  in  irregular  areolas  ;  leaf  pinnate. 

XXV.  PHANEROPHLEBIA,  p.  117 
Veins  copiously  anastomosing  ;  leaf  trifoliate.    XXVI.  TECTARIA,  p.  118 

19.  Indusium  roundish  or  stellate,  delicate   .     .     .     XXXI.  WOODSIA,  p.  120 
Indusium  cup-shaped,  somewhat  two-valved. 

XXXII.  DENNSTVEDTIA,  p.  122 

20.  Leaves  growing  in  crowns ;  veins  free     .     .     XXX.  MATTEUCCIA,  p,  120 
Leaves  scattered  ;  veins  copiously  anastomosing. 

XXIX.  ONOCLEA,  p.  120 

-    21.  Sori  all  parallel  to  the  midribs  or  rachises 22 

Son  all  oblique  to  the  midribs 24 


POL  YPODIA  CEJE.  8 1 

Sori    partly  oblique    and   partly  parallel   to  the    midrib ;     leaf   simple, 
tapering  to  a  point XXI.  CAMPTOSORUS,  p.  108 

22.  Veins  free 23 

Veins  reticulate XVIII.  WOODWARDIA,  p.  102 

23.  Indusium  near  the  margin  ;  sporophyll  much  contracted. 

XVI.  STRUTHIOPTERIS,  p.  101 
Indusium  remote  from  the  margin  ;  leaves  nearly  uniform. 

XVII.  BLECHNUM,  p.  102 

24.  Sori  on  the  upper  side  of  a  veinlet,  rarely  on  both  sides. 

XIX.  ASPLENIUM,  p.  103 

Sori  confluent  in  pairs,  with  an  apparently  double  indusium  opening  in 
the  middle XX.  PHYLLITIS,  p.  107 

I.      ACROSTICHUM     L. 

Sporangia  spread  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  frond  or  upper 
pinnae,  or  occasionally  over  both  surfaces.  Venation  anasto- 
mosing (our  species  simply  pinnate).  Name  from  Gr.  aKpos, 
the  summit,  and  crrz^o?,  a  row.  A  tropical  genus  containing 
about  five  species  as  here  limited. 

1.  A.  aureum  L.     Rootstocks  erect,  solitary  or  in  masses; 
stipes  cespitose,  erect  ligneous,  ii° — 2$°  long,  flattish-channelled, 
with   two   or  three   alternate   pairs   of  black  indurated  spurs, 
fronds  erect,  stiff,  coriaceous,  glossy,  light  green;  3° — 4°  long; 
i° — 1^°  wide;  pinnae  12  or  more  pairs,  rather  distant;  sporangia 
confined  to  the  upper  half  or  third  of  the  frond  ;  venation  fine, 
oblique  to  the  margin.     Southern  Florida. 

2.  A.  lomarioides    Jenman.      Rootstocks   erect   massive; 
stipes  cespitose,  erect,  subfleshy,    i£° — 2^°   long,    longitudinally 
ribbed,  subangular;  fronds  erect-spreading,  3° — 4°  high,   i° — 2° 
wide,  slightly  reduced  at  base,  suddenly  reduced  at  the  apex ; 
pinnae  patent,  close  or  crowded,  25 — 30  pairs,  the  face  turned 
upward  and  transverse  with  the  rachis ;  sporangia  covering  all 
the  pinnae  of  fertile  fronds ;  areolae  very  fine,  directed  toward 
the  margin.     South  Florida. 

II.      POLYPODIUM    L. 

Sori  round,  naked,  dorsal,  in  one  or  more  rows  each  side  of 
midrib,  or  irregularly  scattered.  Stipes  articulated  to  root- 


82       OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

stock.  Name  from  Gr.  7to\vS,  many,  and  novs,  jroSo'?,  foot, 
alluding  to  the  branching  rootstock.  The  largest,  most  cosmo- 
politan genus  of  ferns,  containing  1 50  or  more  species. 

§  I.  EUPOLYPODIUM.  Veins  free ;  fronds  (in  our  species) 
pinnate. 

*  Son'  large. 

1.  P.  vulg-are  L.     Stipes  2' — 4' long,  firm,  erect;  fronds4' — 
10'  long,  i' — 3'  broad,  cut  nearly  or  quite  to  the  rachis  into  entire 
or  slightly  toothed,  usually  blunt  pinnae ;   veins  once  or  twice 
forked.     Larger  fronds  with  their  pinnae  sharply  serrated  and 
long-pointed  form  the  var.  occidental  Hook.     New  England 
westward  to  Oregon  and  southward  to  Alabama. 

2.  P.  falcatum  Kellogg.     Stipes  5' — 8'  long,  stramineous; 
fronds  12' — 15'  long,  4' — 8'  broad  ;  pinnae  numerous,  tapering  to 
a  slender  point,  sharply  serrate  ;  sori  nearest  the  midrib;  veins 
with  2 — 4  veinlets.    (P.  glycyrrhiza  D.  C.  Eaton.)     California  to 
British  Columbia. 

**  Sori  smaller,  often  minute. 

3.  P.  plumula  H.  B.  K.     Stipes  i' — 4'  long,  black,  slender; 
fronds  narrowly  lanceolate,  9' — 1 8' long,  i' — 2' broad  ;  pinnae  nu- 
merous, narrow,  entire,  blunt,  lower  gradually  reduced  ;  surfaces 
naked  except  the  black  wiry  rachis;  veinlets  forked,  obscure. 
Florida. 

4.  P.  pectinatum  L.     Stipes  rigid  2' — 6' long;    fronds  el- 
liptical-lanceolate, i" — 2^°  long,  2' — 6' broad,  cut  to  the  rachis 
into  horizontal,  entire  or  toothed  pinnae,  the  lower  ones  much 
reduced  ;  rachis  naked  or  finely  villose  ;  veinlets  pellucid,  once 
or  twice  forked  ;  sori  in  long  rows,  of  medium  size.     Florida. 

§2.  GONIOPHLEBIUM  Blume.  VTeins  forming  ample  regular 
areolce  (almost  imperceptible  in  No.  5),  each  "with  a  single  distinct 
free  included  veinlet,  bearing  a  sorus  at  its  terminus. 

*  Under  surface  squamous. 

5.  P.  polypodioides  (L.)  Hitch.     Rootstock  creeping,  cov- 
ered with  small  brown  scales;  stipes  i'— 4'  long,  erect,  densely 
scaly;  fronds  2' — 6'  long,  i' — 1|'  broad,  cut  to  the  rachis  into 
entire  pinnae;  texture  coriaceous;  sori  small;  veins  indistinct. 
(P.  incanum  Swz.)     Virginia  to  Illinois,  and  southward. 


POLYPODIACEJE.  .      83 

6.  P.  thysanolepis  A.  Br.    Rootstock  slender,  firm,  densely 
covered  with  minute  lanceolate  scales  ;  stipes  3' — 12'  long,  erect, 
scaly  ;  fronds  ovate,  3' — 9'  long,  2' — 3'  broad  ;  pinnae  distant,  as- 
cending, blunt,  dilated  at  base  (except  the  lowest),  thick,  sub- 
coriaceous,  covered  below  with  ciliate  scales  with  brown  centre 
and  broad  scarious  border ;  areolae  and  sori  in  a  single  series. 
Huachuca  Mountains,  Arizona  (Lemmon),  Mexico. 

**  Under  surface  mostly  smooth. 

7.  P.  Californicum    Kaulf.      Rootstock   creeping,   chaffy; 
stipes  2' — 6'  long,  stramineous  when  dry,  naked  ;  fronds  ovate 
to  oblong-lanceolate,  4' — 9'  long,  i' — 5'  broad,  cut  nearly  or  quite 
to  midrib  into  finely-toothed  pinnae;  texture  papyraceo-herba- 
ceous;  sori  large;  veinlets  4 — 6  to  each  vein.     (Including  P.  in- 
termedium H.  &  A.)     California. 

8.  P.  Scouleri  H.  &  G.     Rootstock  stout,  creeping,  scaly  ; 
stipes  2' — 4'  long,  erect,  naked  ;  fronds  thick,  3' — 12'  long,  2'— 6' 
broad,  cut  down  to  rachis  into  from  5 — 29  close,  blunt  pinnae; 
texture  coriaceous,  fleshy  when  recent;  sori  very  large  ;  veinlets 
regularly  anastomosing  forming  a  single  series  of  large  areolae. 
(P.  carnosum   Kellogg,  P.  pachyphyllum  D.  C.  Eaton.)      Cali- 
fornia and  northward. 

III.      PHLEBODIUM     R.  Br. 

Sori  round,  naked,  dorsal,  borne  on  the  united  ends  of  two 
or  more  free  veinlets  which  are  included  in  the  ample  areolse 
formed  by  the  regularly  anastomosing  veins.  Name  from  Gr. 
0/le/Jj?,  a  vein.  A  small  genus  of  tropical  ferns  mostly  epi- 
phytic. 

i.  P.  aureum  (L.)  R.  Br.  Rootstock  stout,  densely  scaly ; 
stipes  i° — 2°  long,  castaneous,  naked  ;  fronds  3° — 5°  long,  9' — 18' 
broad,  cut  nearly  to  the  rachis  into  broad  entire  or  slightly 
undulate  pinnae  ;  areolae  copious.  Florida. 

IV.     CAMPYLONEURON    Presl. 

Sori  round,  naked,  dorsal,  borne  in  one  or  more  rows  either 
side  of  the  midrib.  Primary  veins  distinct  from  midrib  to 
margin,  connected  by  parallel  transverse  veinlets  forming  regu- 


84        OUR   NATIVE   FERNS   AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

lar  arches.  Areolse  similar,  containing  two  or  more  sori. 
Name  from  Gr.  Ka/.ntv^oZ,  curved,  and  vevpov,^  a  nerve.  A 
tropical  genus  of  about  50  species. 

i.  C.  phyllitidis  (L.)  Presl.  Rootstock  stout,  scaly ;  stipes 
short  or  none;  fronds  simple,  i° — 3°  long,  i'— 4'  broad,  the 
point  acute,  lower  part  gradually  narrowed ;  texture  rigid,  cori- 
aceous ;  areolae  in  rows  of  6 — 12  from  midrib  to  edge.  Florida. 

V.     PHYMATODES   Presl. 

Sori  round,  naked,  dorsal,  various  in  position.  Veins  forming 
fine,  copious,  irregular  areolae  with  free  veinlets  spreading  in 
various  directions.  Name  from  Gr.  <ftv^a,  a  swelling.  A  tropical 
genus  of  about  60  species. 

i.  P.  Swartzil  (Bak.)  Underw.  Rootstock  wide  creeping, 
slender,  covered  with  linear  ferruginous  scales;  stipes  £' — i' 
long,  slender,  naked;  frond  simple,  2' — 4'  long,  £' — f  broad, 
narrowed  gradually  toward  both  ends,  the  edge  entire,  undulate, 
or  slightly  lobed ;  sori  uniserial  on  free  veinlets.  (P.  serpens 
Swz.)  Key  Largo,  Florida  (Curtiss). 

VI.     GYMNOPTERIS    Bernh. 

Sori  oblong  or  linear,  following  the  course  of  the  veinlets 
and,  like  them,  simple,  forked,  pinnate,  or  variously  branching, 
without  indusia.  Name  from  Gr.  yv^ro?,  naked,  and  Trrepz'?, 
fern.  Includes  about  25  species,  mostly  tropical. 

*  Veins  free,  under  surface  not  farinose. 

1.  G.  hispida  (Mett.)  Underw.     Rootstock  creeping  ;  stipes 
grayish,   puberulent,   3' — 6'   long;  fronds  5-angled,   i' — 3'  each 
way,  hispid  above,  tomentose  beneath,  pinnate ;   lower  pinnae 
much  the  largest,  unequally  triangular,  pinnate ;  upper  pinnae 
lobed  or  crenate.      (Gyinnograniine  Ehrenbtrgiana   of   former 
edition  not  of  Klotzsch,  G.  podophylla  Hook  in  part,  G.  hispida 
Mett.)     Texas  to  Arizona. 

*  *  Fronds  farinose  below. 

2.  G.    triangularis    (Kaulf.)     Underw.       (GOLDEN-RACK.) 
Stipes  densely   tufted,    slender,  blackish-brown,  polished,  6' — 
12'  long;  fronds  2' — 5' each  way,  deltoid,  pinnate;  lower  pinnae 
much  the  largest,  triangular,  bipinnatind  ;  upper  pinnae  more  or 


POL  Y POD  I  A  CEM. 

less  pinnately  lobed  ;  lower  surface  coated  with  yellow  or  white 
powder,  finally  more  or  less  obscured  by  the  fruit.  (Gymno- 
gramma  triangularis  Kaulf.)  Arizona,  California,  and  north- 
ward. 

VII.     NOTHOL>ENA    R.  Br.     CLOAK-FERN. 

Sori  marginal,  at  first  roundish  or  oblong,  soon  confluent 
into  a  narrow  band,  without  indusium,  but  sometimes  covered 
at  first  by  the  inflexed  edge  of  the  frond.  Veins  free.  Name 
from  Lat.  nothus,  spurious,  and  Icena,  a  cloak,  alluding  to  the 
rudimentary  indusia.  Includes  37  species. 

§  i.  EUXOTHOL.«NA.  Fronds  not  farinose  beneath,  scaly, 
hairy,  or  tomentose. 

*  Fronds  simply  pinnate. 

1.  N.  sinuata  (Swz.)  Kaulf.     Rootstock  short,  very  chaffy; 
stipes  2' — 4'  long,  erect;  fronds  6' — 2°  long,  i' — 2' broad;  pinnae 
numerous,  short-stalked,  roundish  or  ovate,  entire  to  pinnately 
lobed,  lower  surface  densely  scaly.     Texas  to  Arizona. 

2.  N.  ferruginea  (Desv.)  Hook.     Rootstock  creeping,  with 
dark  rigid  scales ;  stipes  tufted,  2' — 4'  long,  wiry,  blackish,  woolly 
at  first;   fronds  8' — 12' long,  i' — i' broad,  narrowly   lanceolate; 
pinnae  numerous,  ovate,  pinnatifid,  hairy  above,  densely  tomen- 
tose beneath,  the  wool  at  first  whitish,  but  becoming  ferruginous. 
(N.  rufa  Presl.)     Texas  to  Arizona. 

**  Fronds  bi — quadripinnate. 
t  Fronds  silky-hairy  above. 

3.  N.  Parryi     D.  C.  Eaton.     Rootstock  short,  scaly;  stipes 
2' — 4  long,  dark  brown,  pubescent  with  whitish  jointed  hairs; 
fronds  2' — 4'  long,  oblong-lanceolate,  tripinnate,  lower  pinnae 
distinct ;  segments  crowded,  roundish-obovate,  one  line  broad, 
densely  covered  above  with  entangled  white  hairs,  beneath  with 
a  heavier  pale-brown  tomentum.     Utah,  California,  Arizona. 

4.  N.   Newberryi  D.C.Eaton.  (CoTTON-FERN.)  Rootstock 
with  very  narrow  dark  bristly  scales ;  stipes  tufted,  3' — 5'  long, 
blackish-brown,  woolly  when  young,  with  pale-ferruginous  to- 
mentum ;   fronds  3 — 5'  long,  lanceolate-oblong,  covered  most 
densely  beneath    with    fine  whitish    hairs,  tri — quadripinnate ; 
ultimate  segments  roundish-obovate,  \" — \"  broad.    California. 

"H"  Fronds  slightly  hispid  above. 


86        OUR  NATIVE  FERXS  AXD    THEIR  ALLIES. 

5.  N.    Aschenborniana       Klotzsch.        Rootstock       short, 
creeping;    stipes   tufted,   2' — 3'   long,   wiry,  ebeneous,  densely 
scaly;  fronds  4' — 10'  long,  2' — 3'  broad,  oblong-lanceolate,  tri- 
pinnatifid  ;  pinnae  lanceolate,  cut  into  linear-oblong,  crenate  or 
pinnatifid  pinnules  ;  upper  surface  pale-green,  the  lower  densely 
matted  with   linear,  ciliate,  bright  ferruginous  scales,  beneath 
which  it  is  subfarinose ;  sori  black.     Huachuca  Mts.,  Arizona 
(Lemmori),  Texas  (Drumtnond),  Mexico. 

§  2.  CINCINALIS  Desv.  Fronds  farinose,  with  -white  or  yel- 
low powder  (in  one  species  naked). 

*  Fronds  farinose  below. 
t  Fronds  deltoid  or  pentagonal,  barely  bipinnate. 

6.  N.    Candida    (M.  et  G.)  Hook.     Rootstock  creeping,  with 
rigid,  nearly  black  scales;  stipes  tufted  3' — 6'  long,  wiry,  black 
and  shining;    fronds  rather  shorter  than  stipe,  deltoid-ovate, 
pinnate;  lowest  pinnae  with   the  lowest   inferior  pinnules  elon- 
gate and  again  pinnatifid,  the  three  or  four  succeeding  pairs  lan- 
ceolate, pinnatifid  into  oblong  segments,  the  uppermost  pinnae 
like  the  segments  of  the  lower ;  upper  surface  green  ;  lower  sur- 
face whitish  farinose;  margin  slightly  re  volute.     (N.  sulp/iurea 
J.  Sm.,  N.pitlveracea  Kunze.)    Southwestern  Texas  (Rei.>erchori); 
New  Mexico  (  Wright). 

7.  N.  cretacea  Liebm.    Rootstock  short,  oblique,  the  scales 
rigid,  lanceolate,  with  a  narrow   membranous  margin ;    stipes 
2' — 7'  long,  brownish,   wiry,  scaly  when  young;    fronds  i' — 2' 
long,   broadly  deltoid-ovate  to  pentagonal,  tri — quadripinnati- 
fid  at  base,  gradually  simpler  above  ;  ultimate  segments  oblong 
or  triangular-oblong,  numerous,  crowded  ;   upper  surface  more  or 
less  covered  with  deciduous  glands ;    lower  surface  copiously 
farinose  with  yellow  or  whitish  powder  except  on  the  promi- 
nent dark-brown  rachises;  margins  more  or  less  recurved,  not 
covering  the  sporangia;  spores  globose,  black.     (TV*.  Californica 
D.C.Eaton.)    San  Diego  County,  California  (Cleveland,  Parish); 
Arizona  (Parry,  Lemmori). 

B.  N.  Hookeri  D.  C.  Eaton.  Rootstock  short,  densely 
covered  with  rigid  lanceolate  dark-brown  scales ;  stipes  tufted, 
4' — 8'  long,  reddish-brown,  wiry,  shining  ;  fronds  2' — 3'  each 
way,  nearly  pentagonal,  composed  of  three  divisions  ;  the  mid- 


POL  YPODIA  CE^-E.  87 

die  one  slightly  stalked,  pinnatifid  into  a  few  toothed  segments, 
the  second  pair  larger  than  the  first;  side  divisions  bearing  a 
single  large  pinnatifid  basal  segment  on  the  lower  side,  and 
above  it  smaller  ones  like  those  of  the  upper  side  ;  lower  surface 
covered  with  pale,  yellow  powder.  Texas  to  Arizona. 


ft  Fronds  lanceolate  or  linear -oblong,  bipinnate  or  tripinnatifid. 

9.  N.  Gray!  Dav.    Stipes  tufted,  i ' — 4'  long,  chestnut-brown, 
with  nearly  black,  rigid  scales  below,  paler  deciduous  scales 
above;  fronds  2' — 6'  long,  f — ij'  wide,  the  upper  surface  spar- 
ingly, the  lower  thickly,  covered  with  white  powder;    pinnae 
short-stalked,  unequally  triangular-ovate,  deeply  pinnatifid  or 
divided  into  one  or  two  pairs  of  oblong  pinnatifid,  obtuse  pin- 
nules, the  remaining  portion  obliquely  pinnatifid  with  alternate 
segments;  sori  brown.     Southeastern  Arizona  to  Texas. 

10.  N.  Schaffneri  (Fourn.)  Unde.     Rootstock  short,  stout, 
with  black  pectinale  scales;  stipes  i' — 2'  long,  brownish-black, 
with  narrow,  rigid  scales ;    fronds  lanceolate,  5' — 8'  long,  bi — 
tripinnatifid,  the  pinnules  numerous,  narrow,  with  narrow  dark 
scales  underneath  ;  sori  continuous,  brown  or  black.     (N,Neal- 
leyi  Seaton,  Aleuritopteris  Schaffneri  Fourn.)     Western  Texas 
(Xealley). 

1 1.  N.  Lemmoni  D.  C.  Eaton.     Rootstock  short,  scaly,  with 
narrow,  rigid,  dark-brown  chaff;   stalks  reddish-brown,  4' — 6' 
long,  chaffy  only  at  base  with  wider  scarious-margined  scales; 
fronds  6' — 9'  long,  i' — \\'  wide,  with  numerous  deltoid  or  ovate 
pinnae,  the  lowest  a  little  shorter  than  the  middle  ones;  upper 
surface  smooth,  the  lower  with  white  or  yellowish  powder;  sori 
in  a  narrow  submarginal  line.     Arizona. 

ttt  Fronds  deltoid-ovate,  tri — quadripinnate  at  base. 

12.  N.  nivea  Desv.     Rootstock  short,  chaffy,  with  narrow 
scales;    stipes  tufted,  4' — 6'   long,  wiry,  black   and   polished; 


88        OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

fronds  3' — 6'  long,  i^' — 2'  broad,  ovate,  lanceolate,  triangular- 
ovate  or  deltoid,  tripinnate  ;  primary  pinnae  mostly  opposite, 
the  rachises  nearly  straight ;  pinnules  long-stalked  ;  segments 
roundish,  nearly  as  broad  as  long,  terminal  ones  larger,  entire 
or  3-lobed  ;  upper  surfaces  green,  smooth,  lower  densely  coated 
with  pure  white  powder;  sori  brown,  often  descending  the  free 
veins  half-way  to  the  midvein.  Arizona,  New  Mexico. 

13.  N.  dealbata  (Purshj  Kunze.    Segments  more  numerous, 
longer  than  broad,  terminal  ones  rarely  lobed  ;  pinnae  commonly 
opposite;  frond  deltoid.     (Cheilanthes  dealbata  Pursh.)    Upper 
Missouri  to  New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 

14.  N.    Fendleri    Kunze.      Stipes    densely    tufted,    dark- 
brown,  3' — 5'  long;    rachis   and   all   its   branches  zigzag  and 
flexuous  ;   fronds  broadly  deltoid-ovate,  3' — 5'  each  way,  quad- 
ripinnate    below,    gradually  simpler  above;    pinnae  alternate; 
ultimate  pinnules  oval  or  elliptical,  simple  or  3-lobed.     Colo- 
rado, New  Mexico,  Arizona. 

**  Fronds  naked  below. 

15.  N.  tenera    Gillies.     Stipes    tufted,    brownish,   smooth 
and  shining ;  fronds  3' — 4'  long,  ovate-pyramidal,  bi — tripinnate  ; 
pinnae  mostly  opposite,  distant,  the  lower  ones  somewhat  tri- 
angular;   ultimate   pinnules   ovate,  often   sub-cordate,  obtuse, 
smooth,  and  naked  on  both  surfaces  ;  possibly  only  a  form  of 
N.  nivea.     Southern  Utah,  California. 

VIII.     CHEILOGRAMMA    Blume. 

Sori  linear,  but  the  line  sometimes  interrupted,  central  or 
submarginal.  Veins  reticulate.  Name  from  Gr.  ^eiAo?,  lip, 
and  ypa/iiua,  a  line.  Contains  a  single  species. 

I.  C.  lanceolata  (L.)  Blume.  Rootstock  creeping;  stipes 
i' — 2'  long;  fronds  simple,  6' — 13'  long,  \' — f  broad,  tapering 
both  ways,  the  edge  entire  or  sometimes  crisped,  midrib  promi- 
nent ;  veins  immersed,  the  exterior  free  and  clubbed  at  their 
apices ;  sori  ante-marginal,  in  a  continuous  line  near  the  apex. 
(Pteris  lanceolata  L.,  T&nitis  lanceolata  R.  Br.,  Neitrodiuin  lan- 
ceolatTun  Fee.)  Old  Rhodes  Key,  Florida  (Curtiss), 


POLYPOD1ACEM.  89 

IX.  VITTARIA  Sm.     GRASS  FERN. 

Sori  linear,  continuous,  in  two-lipped  marginal  grooves  or  in 
slightly  intramarginal  lines,  with  the  unaltered  edge  of  the  frond 
produced  beyond  and  often  rolled  over  them,  but  without  spe- 
cial indusia.  Fronds  narrow,  grass-like.  Veins  free.  Name 
from  Lat.  vitta,  a  fillet  or  head-band.  A  tropical  genus  con- 
taining 13  species. 

§  T.ENIOPSIS  J.  Sm. 

i.  V.  Iineata(L.)  Sm.  Fronds 6' — i8'long,  i" — 5"broad,  nar- 
rowed gradually  downward  to  a  stout  compressed  stem,  the  edge 
often  reflexed ;  sori  in  a  broad  intramarginal  line  in  a  slight 
furrow,  the  edge  of  the  frond  at  first  wrapped  over  it.  (V.  an- 
gustifrons  Michx.)  Florida. 

X.  ADIANTUM  L.     MAIDENHAIR. 

Sori  marginal,  short,  covered  by  a  reflexed  portion  of  :he 
more  or  less  altered  margin  of  the  frond,  which  bears  the  spo- 
rangia on  its  under  side  from  the  approximated  tips  of  free, 
forking  veins.  Name  from  Gr.  a,  without,  and  Siaivoa,  to  wet, 
alluding  to  the  smooth  foliage.  Includes  over  80  species, 
mostly  from  Tropical  America. 

§  EUADIANTUM. 

*  Fronds  at  least  bipinnate,  pinnules  flabellate  or  cuneate. 
t  Fronds  smooth. 

1.  A.  capillus-veneris  L.    (VENUS'  HAIR.)     Stipes  nearly 
black,  polished,  very  slender;   fronds  ovate-lanceolate,  delicate, 
bipinnate,  the  upper  half  or  third  simply  pinnate  ;  pinnules  and 
upper  pinnae  wedge-obovate  or  rhomboid,  rather  long-stalked, 
the  upper  margin  rounded  and  more  or  less  incised,  crenate, 
or  acutely  dentato-serrate,  except  where  the  margin  is  recurved 
to  form  the  lunulate  separated  indusia.     Virginia,  Kentucky, 
and  Florida  to  Utah  and  California. 

2.  A.  tenerum    Swz.     Stipes  i°  high,  erect,  glossy;  fronds 
i° — 3°  long,  9' — 1 8'  broad,  deltoid,  tri — quadripinnate  ;  pinnules 
articulated  to  their  petioles,  falling  off  at  maturity,  cuneate,  the 
upper  edge  rounded  or  somewhat  angular,  broadly,  often  rather 
deeply  lobed  ;  sori  numerous,  roundish,  or  transversely  oblong. 
Florida. 


go       OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AXD     THEIR  ALLIES. 

3.  A.  Jordan!  C.  Muell.     Stipes  rather  stout,  nearly  black, 
polished;    fronds   ovate   or   deltoid-pyramidal,    bi — tripinnate; 
pinnules  and  upper  pinnae  ample,  smooth,  or  nearly  so,  rounded 
or  even  reniform,  upper  margin  rounded,  slightly  incised  ;  sori 
2 — 5;  transversely  linear-oblong,  subcontinuous.    (A.  emargina- 
tum  of  former  edition  not  Hook.) 

ft  Fronds  pilose,  with  whitish  hairs. 

4.  A.  tricholepis    Fee.     Stipes    smooth,    polished,    deep 
black  ;  fronds  oval ;  pinnules  roundish,  moderately  long-stalked  ; 
sori    few  (3 — 7),  of   unequal  size;    indusia  very  velvety.      (A. 
dilatatum  Nutt.)     Western  Texas. 

**  Fronds  dichotomously  forked,with  numerous pinniz spring- 
ing from  the  upper  side  of  the  two  branches. 

5.  A.  pedatum    L.     Stipes    9' — 15'   long,    dark    chestnut- 
brown,  glabrous;  fronds  nearly  circular  in  outline;  central  pin- 
nee  6'— 9'  long,  i' — 2'  broad;  pinnules  triangular-oblong,  short- 
stalked  ;  sori  roundish  or  transversely  oblong.     North  Carolina 
to  California  and  northward. 

Vctr.  rangiferinum  Burgess.  Pinnules  longer-stalked  and 
deeply  cleft  into  narrow-toothed  lobes  on  the  upper  side.  Mount 
Findlayson,  British  Columbia. 

XI.     PTERIS  L.    BRAKE. 

Sori  marginal,  linear,  continuous,  occupying  a  slender  fili- 
form receptacle  which  connects  the  tips  of  the  free  veins.  In- 
dusium  membranous,  formed  of  the  reflexed  margin  of  the 
frond.  Name  from  Gr.  itTspiS,  a  fern,  from  Ttrepov,  a  wing,  al- 
luding to  the  prevalence  of  pinnate  fronds.  A  cosmopolitan 
genus  containing  sixty  or  mo're  species  as  now  limited. 
*  Lower  pinna  linear,  undivided. 

i.  P.  longifolia  L.  Stipes  6'— 12'  long,  clothed  more  or  less 
below  with  pale-brown  scales;  fronds  i° — 2°  long,  4' — 9'  broad, 
oblong-lanceolate;  pinnae  sessile,  2" — 5"  broad,  linear,  entire; 
veins  close  and  fine,  usually  once  branched  ;  indusium  yellowish 
brown.  Florida. 

*  *  Louver  pinnce  forked  or  slightly  pinnate  below. 
2.     p.  Cretica   L.      Stipes  6' — 12'  long,    erect,   stramineous 
or  pale-brown  ;  fronds  6' — 12'  long,  4' — 8' broad,  lateral  pinnae 


POLYPODIACE^E.  .  9! 

usually  in  2 — 6  opposite  sessile  pairs,  the  sterile  ones  considera- 
bly the  broadest  and  spinulose-serrate,  the  lower  pairs  often 
cleft  nearly  to  the  base,  into  two  or  three  linear  pinnules  ;  veins 
fine,  parallel,  simple  or  once  forked  ;  indusium  pale.  Florida. 
3.  P.  serrulata  Linn.  f.  Stipes  6' — 9'  long,  naked,  pale 
or  brownish  ;  fronds  9' — 18'  long,  6' — 9'  broad,  ovate,  bipinna- 
tifid,  the  main  rachis  margined  with  a  wing  which  is  i" — 2" 
broad  at  the  top  and  grows  narrower  downwards  ;  pinnae  in  six 
or  more  distinct  opposite  pairs,  upper  ones  simple,  the  lower 
ones  with  several  long  linear  pinnules  on  each  side,  the  edge  of 
the  barren  ones  spinulose-serrate  ;  veins  simple  or  once  forked. 
Alabama  (Mohr],  Macon,  Georgia,  (Farnell).  An  escape  from 
cultivation. 

XII.      PTERtDIUM   Scopoli. 

Sori  marginal,  linear,  continuous,  occupying  a  slender  fili- 
form receptacle  which  connects  the  tips  of  the  free  veins.  In- 
dusium double ;  the  outer  formed  of  the  incurved  membranous 
margin  of  the  frond,  as  in  Pteris,  and  the  inner  attached  within 
the  receptacle  and  extending  beneath  the  young  sporangia. 
Veins  free.  Name  from  Gr.  rcre'pzS,  a  fern.  Two  or  more  species. 

i.  P.  aquilinum  (L.)  Kuhn.  Rootstock  stout,  wide-creeping, 
subterranean  ;  stipes  i° — 2°  high,  erect,  stramineous  or  brownish; 
fronds  2° — 4°  long,  i° — 3°  wide,  ternate,  the  three  branches  each 
bipinnate ;  upper  pinnules  undivided,  the  lower  more  or  less 
pinnatifid.  North  America  everywhere. 

Var.  caudatum  (L. )  Kuhn.  Pinnules  sometimes  linear  and 
entire,  or  with  less  crowded  segments  than  the  type  and  the 
terminal  lobe  linear  and  entire.  (P.  caudata  L.)  Florida  and 
Texas.  Probably  a  distinct  species. 

Var.  pubescens  Underw.  Fronds  silky-pubescent,  to- 
mentose,  especially  on  the  under  surface;  otherwise  as  in  the 
typical  form.  (P.  aquiltna,  var.  lanuginosa  of  former  editions, 
not  P.  lanuginosa  Bory.)  Utah,  California,  and  northward. 

XIII.     CHEILANTHES    Swz.     LIP-FERN. 

Sori  terminal  or  nearly  so  on  the  veins,  at  first  small  and 

roundish,  afterwards  more  or  less  confluent.     Indusium  formed 

of  the  reflexed  margin  of  the  frond,  roundish  and  distinct,  or 

more  or  less  confluent.     Veins  free.     Name  from  Gr.  ^eiAoS,  a 


92       OUR   NATIVE   PERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 


lip,  and  aj'Oo?,  flower,  alluding  to  the  lip-like  indusia.   A  genus 
of  65  species  of  tropical  and  temperate  zones. 

§  I.  ADIANTOPSIS  Fee.  Indusia  distinct,  roundish,  confined 
to  the  apex  of  a  single  veinlet. 

i.  C.  Californica  (Nutt.)  Mett.  Rootstock  short,  creeping, 
chaffy;  stipes  densely  tufted,  dark-brown,  glossy,  4'  —  8'  long; 
fronds  4'  or  less  each  way,  broadly  deltoid-ovate,  smooth  on 
both  surfaces,  quadripinnatifid  ;  lower  pinnae  largest,  triangular; 
upper  ones  gradually  smaller  and  simpler;  ultimate  segments 
lanceolate,  acute,  incised  or  serrate  ;  indusia  membranous. 
(Aspidotis  Californica  Nutt.,  Hypolepis  Californica  Hook.)  Ca- 
lifornia. C.  Amcena  A.  A.  Eaton  is  scarcely  distinct. 

2.  C.  Pringlei  Dav.     Rootstock  slender,  creeping,  clothed 
with  linear-lanceolate  scales;  stipes   i£'  —  4^'  long,   reddish  or 
chestnut  brown,  scaly  at  base  and  sparingly  above;  fronds  i'  — 
2^'  long,  nearly  as  broad,  triangular  or  ovate-deltoid,  bi  —  tripin- 
nately  divided  into  5  —  7  pairs  of  pinnae,  opposite  and  spreading 
in  the  smaller  sterile  fronds,  alternate  and  erecto-patent  in  the 
larger  fertile  fronds,  naked,  dark-green  ;  pinnae  f  —  i-J-'  long,  the 
lower  unequally  deltoid  or  ovate,  bipinnate,  the  uppermost  ob- 
long, pinnate  or  deeply  pinnatifid;  pinnules  ovate  or  oblong, 
pinnately  divided  or  cleft  into  oblique  segments,  which  are  again 
deeply  cleft  into  cuneate,  strap-shaped  divisions,  those  of  the 
largest  segments  again  deeply  cut  into  narrow,  obtuse,  cuneate 
lobes,  the  recurved  tips  in  fertile  fronds  forming  distinct  her- 
baceous involucres  with  entire  or  slightly  crenulate  margins  ; 
sori  one  to  each  ultimate  lobe  on  the  apex  of  a  free  veinlet. 
South-eastern  Arizona  (Pringle). 

§  2.  EUCHEILANTHES.  Indusia  more  or  less  confluent,  itsu- 
ally  extending  over  the  apices  of  several  veinlet  s,  but  not  continu- 
ous all  round  the  segments  ;  segments  mostly  flat,  not  bead-like. 

*  Segments  of  the  frond  smooth. 
\  Pinnce  few,  not  more  than  5  —  6  pairs. 

3.  C.  Wrightii  Hook.       Stipes  castaneous,  slightly  chaffy 
at  base,  i'  —  2'  long;  fronds  2'  —  3'  long,  ovate-oblong,  tripinnat- 
ifid,  segments  more  or  less  incised  ;  indusium  sub-continuous 
or  interrupted,  similar  to  frond  in  texture.     Western  Texas  to 
Arizona. 

tt  Pinna  numerous. 


POLYPODIACE.E.  93 

4.  C.    microphylla     Swz.      Rootstock     short,    creeping; 
stipes  dark-brown,  glossy,  rusty  pubescent  on  the  upper  side, 
4' — 6'  long ;  fronds  4' — 10'  long,  ovate-lanceolate,  bi — tripinnate  ; 
pinnae  lanceolate,  the  lowest  ones  usually  largest  and  more  del- 
toid ;  pinnules  oblong  or  deltoid-ovate,  deeply  incised  or  pin- 
nate; indusium  similar  in  texture  to  frond,  interrupted  or  sub- 
continuous.     Florida,  New  Mexico. 

5.  C.  Alabamensis  (Buckl.)  Kunze.     Rootstock   creeping, 
with  slender  brown  scales;  stipes  black  with  scanty  ferruginous 
wool ;  fronds  2' — 10'  long,  narrowly  lanceolate,  bipinnate  ;  pinnae 
close,  ovate-lanceolate,  the  lowest  ones  not  enlarged,  usually 
smaller  than  those  above ;  pinnules  mostly  acute,  often  auricu- 
late  on    the  upper  side  at    the   base;    indusia   pale,  membra- 
nous, interrupted  only  by  the  incising  of  the  pinnules.     (Pellcea 
Alabamensis    Baker,  Pteris  Alabamensis  Buckley.)       Virginia, 
Alabama,  Tennessee  to  Texas  and  Arizona  (Lcmmon). 

**  Segments  of  the  frond  glandular  viscid. 

6.  C.  viscida  Dav.     Stipes  3'— 5'  long,  wiry,  blackish,  chaffy 
at  the  base  with  narrow  ferruginous  scales  ;   fronds  3' — 5'  long, 
J' — i'     broad,    narrowly    oblong,    pinnate,    with    4 — 6    distant 
pairs  of    nearly  sessile,  deltoid,  bipinnatifid  pinnae;    segments 
toothed,  minutely  glandular  and    everywhere  viscid;    teeth  of 
segment  recurved,  forming  indusia.     California. 

***  pronds  somewhat  hairy  and  glandular,  not  tomentose. 
\  Fronds  deltoid-ovate;  stipes  stramineous. 

7.  C.  leucopoda  Link.     Stipes  3' — 10'  long,  stout,  chaffy  at 
base ;  fronds  2' — 7'  long,  deltoid-ovate,  quadripinnate  at  base, 
gradually   simpler    above,    everywhere    glandular-puberulent ; 
lowest  pair  of  pinnae  unequally  deltoid-ovate,  upper  ones  ob- 
long;   pinnules  short-stalked;   ultimate  pinnules  divided  into 
minute  rounded  lobules,  strongly  revolute  when  fertile.     Texas. 

tt  Fronds  ovate-lanceolate  ;  stipes  brownish. 

8.  C.  lanosa    (Michx.)    Watt.     Stipes   tufted,    2' — 4'   long, 
chestnut-brown;  fronds  4'— 9' long,  l' — 2' broad,  tripinnatifid ; 
pinnae  somewhat  distant,  lanceolate-deltoid  ;  segments  more  or 
less  thickly  covered  with  acute  hairs ;    sori  copious ;    indusia 
formed  of  the  ends  of  roundish  or  oblong  lobes.     {Nephrodium 
lanosum  Michx.  C. -vest  it  a  Swz.)  New  York  to  Kansas  and  Georgia. 

9.  C.  Cooperae  D.  C.  Eaton.     Stipes  densely  tufted,  fragile, 


94       OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

hairy  with  straightish  nearly  white  articulated  hairs,  which  are 
usually  tipped  with  a  glandular  and  viscid  enlargement ;  fronds 
3' — 8'  long,  bipinnate,  the  pinnae  rather  distant,  oblong-ovate ; 
pinnules  roundish-ovate,  crenate  and  incised,  the  ends  of  the 
'obules  forming  herbaceous  indusia.  California. 

§  3.  PHYSAPTERIS  Presl.  Ultimate  segments  minute,  bead- 
like  ;  indusium  usually  continuous  all  round  the  margin  ;  fronds 
(in  our  species)  bi — quadripinnate,  the  lower  surface  scaly  or  tomen- 
tose  or  both. 

*  Fronds  hairy  or  tomentose  beneath,  not  scaly. 
^•t  Upper  surface  naked  or  nearly  so. 

10.  C.    gracillima    D.    C.    Eaton.      (LACE-FERN.)    Stipes 
densely  tufted,  2' — 6'  long,  dark-brown  ;  fronds  i' — 4'  long,  nar- 
rowly ovate-lanceolate,  bipinnate;  pinnae  numerous,   crowded, 
pinnately  divided  into  about  nine  oblong-oval  pinnules,  at  first 
slightly  webby  above,  soon  smooth,   heavily  covered  beneath 
with   pale-ferruginous  matted  wool ;    indusia  yellowish-brown, 
formed  of  the  continuously  curved  margin.     (C.  vestita  Brack.) 
California,  Oregon,  British  Columbia,  Idaho. 

11.  C.  lendigera  (Cav.)  Swz.     Rootstock  creeping,  covered 
with  narrow  scales  ;  stipes  rather  distant,  4' — 8'  long,  at  first 
loosely  tomentose,  at  length  nearly  smooth  ;  fronds  4' — 8'  long, 
ovate-oblong,    tri — quadripinnate  ;     ultimate    pinnules    small, 
cuneate-obovate,  pouch-like  from  the  recurved  margins,  green 
above,  hairy  below.     Huachuca  Mts.,  Arizona  (Letnnwri). 

H  Upper  surface  decidedly  pitbescent. 
|  Stipes  tomentose  or  smooth. 

12.  C.  Feel     Moore.      Stipes     densely     tufted,      slender, 
at  first  clothed   with  woolly  hairs,  at  length   nearly  smooth  ; 
fronds  2' — 4'  long,  ovate-lanceolate,  tripinnate  or  tripinnatifid, 
rarely  bipinnate  ;  pinnae  deltoid  below,  oblong-ovate  above,  the 
lowest   distant;    ultimate    pinnules  minute,  the  terminal    one 
slightly  largest,  crowded  ;  upper  surface  scantily  tomentose,  the 
lower  densely  matted  with  whitish-brown,  woolly  hairs;  indu- 
sia narrow,  formed  of  the  unchanged  margin.    (C.  lanosa  Eaton, 
C.  gracilis    Mett.,    C.    lanuginosa    Nutt,   Myriopteris  gracilis 
Fee.)     Illinois  to  Texas,  Arizona,  and  British  America. 

13.  C.  tomentosa  Link.     Stipes  tufted,  4' — 6'  long,  rather 


POL  Y PODIA  CE&.  9 5 

stout,  covered  with  pale-brown  tomentum ;  fronds  8' — 15'  long, 
oblong-lanceolate,  everywhere  but  especially  beneath  tomentose 
with  slender,  brownish-white,  obscurely  articulated  hairs,  tri- 
pinnate;  pinnae  and  pinnules  ovate-oblong;  ultimate  pinnules 
.V" — |"  long,  the  terminal  ones  twice  as  large;  indusium  pale, 
membranous,  continuous.  (C.  Bradburii  Hook.)  Virginia  to 
Missouri,  Texas,  and  Arizona. 

\\  Stipe  and  rachises  covered  with  very  narrow  scales. 

14.  C.  Eatoni  Baker.     Differs  from  the  last  in  having  the 
stipes  and  rachises  covered  with  very  narrow  scales  and  by  the 
matted  tomentum  of  the  upper  surface.     Arizona. 

15.  C.  f ibrillosa  Dav.    Plant  3' — 6' high;  rootstock  forming 
dense,  entangled  clumps  of  short  rhizomes,  clothed  with  dark 
linear-lanceolate  scales,  passing    gradually  into    lighter-brown 
scales,  mixed  with  coarse  fibres  and  tomentum  at  the  base  of 
the  stipes ;   stipes  2' — 3'  long,   chestnut-brown,  terete,  at  first 
tomentose  with  fibrous  scales  and  wool,  becoming  smooth  with 
age  ;  fronds  2' — 3'  long,  £' — r-J-'  wide,  tripinnate,  loosely  covered 
with  deciduous  tomentum,  that  along  the  rachises  beneath  per- 
sistent, tawny,  mixed  with  coarse  fibres.     (C.  lanuginosa,  var. 
fibrillosa  Dav.)     San  Jacinto  Mountains,  California  (Parish). 

16.  C.  Parishii    Dav.     Rootstock  creeping,  short,  clothed 
with  deep-brown    linear-lanceolate  scales,  with   darker  nearly 
black  mid-nerves;  stipes  2' — 3'  long,  approximate,  light  to  dark- 
brown,  clothed  at  base  with  scales  similar  to  those  on  the  root- 
stock,  passing  gradually  into  broader  pale-brown  or  nearly  white 
nerveless  scales,  with  more  or  less  deciduous,  slender,  pale  scales 
and   chaff  above;   fronds   3' — 4'    long,    i' — i^'  broad,   oblong- 
lanceolate,    tri— quadripinnate,    with    both    surfaces    scantily 
clothed  with  a  coarse  tomentum  ;  pinnae  alternate,  oblong-ovate, 
obtuse,  the  lowermost  somewhat  distant;  segments  roundish, 
the  terminal  ones  largest  and  three-lobed  ;  indusia  very  narrow, 
only  partially  enclosing  the  sori.     San  Diego  Co.,  California 
(Parish). 

**  Fronds  covered  beneath  with  imbricated  scales,  not  tomentose. 

I?.  C.  Fendleri  Hook.  Stipes  2' — 5'  long,  chaffy  with 
minute  slender  scales  ;  fronds  3 — 4'  long,  ovate-lanceolate, 
tripinnate ;  scales  of  primary  rachis  like  those  of  stipe,  those  of 


96        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

secondary  and  ultimate  rachises  larger,  broadly-ovate,  entire  or 
nearly  so,  usually  edged  with  white,  imbricate  and  overlapping 
the  (i" — J-"  broad)  sub-globose  ultimate  segments;  these  are 
naked  above,  and  commonly  bear  at  their  centre  a  single  broad 
scale;  indusium  formed  of  the  much  incurved  margin.  Texas 
and  Colorado  to  California. 

18.  C.  Cleveland!!    D.   C.   Eaton.      Stipes  scattered,  2' — 6' 
long,  dark-brown,  scaly  when  young,  but  at  length  nearly  smooth ; 
fronds  4' — 6'  long,  ovate-lanceolate,  tripinnate,  smooth  above, 
deep  fulvous-brown  below  from  the  dense  covering  of  closely 
imbricate,  ciliate  scales  growing  on  the  ultimate  segments  as 
well  as  on  the  rachises ;  segments  nearly  round,  ^" — J"  broad, 
the  terminal  ones  larger,  margin  narrowly  incurved.      Califor- 
nia. 

***  Under  surface  both  toinentose  and  scaly. 

19.  C.    myriophylla    Desv.     Rootstock  very  short,  scaly; 
stipes  tufted,  2' — 6'  high,  castaneous,  covered  with  pale-brown 
scales  and  woolly  hairs  intermixed  ;  fronds  3' — 8'  long,  oblong- 
lanceolate,  tri— quadripinnatifid,  smooth  or  pilose  above,  be- 
neath matted-tomentose  and  densely  clothed  with  pale-brown, 
narrowly  ovate-lanceolate,  ciliate  scales,  those  of  the  ultimate 
segments  with  long,  tortuous  cilia ;  pinnae  deltoid-ovate,  nar- 
rower upwards;  ultimate  segments  minute,  $"  broad,  crowded, 
innumerable,   the    margin    unchanged,    much    incurved.     Very 
variable.     (C.  elegans  Desv.,  C.  villosa  Dav.)     Texas  to  Arizona.  ^C. 

20.  C.  Lindheimeri  Hook.     Rootstock  long,  slender,  chaf- 
fy ;   stipes  scattered,  4' — 7'   high,  blackish-brown,  at  first  cov-  . 
ered   xvith   scales   and  woolly  hairs ;  fronds  3' — 8'  long,  ovate- 
lanceolate,    tri — quadripinnate ;    ultimate    segments    J-"    long, 
crowded  ;   upper  surface  white  tomentose,  lower  surface  very 
chaffy,  those  of  the  midribs  ciliate  at  base,  those  of  the  segments 
more  and  more  ciliate,  passing  into  entangled  tomentum.    West- 
ern Texas  to  Arizona. 

§  4.    ALEURITOPTERIS  Fee.     Indusia  more  or  less  confluent ; 
fronds  farinose  below. 

21.  C.  argentea  (Gmel.)  Kunze.     Stipes  tufted,  3'— 6'  long, 
castaneous;  fronds  3' — 4'  long,  2'  broad,  deltoid,  bi — tripinnati- 
fid;  lower  pinnae  much  the  largest,  cut  nearly  to  the  rachis; 
rachis  polished  like  the  stipe  ;  upper  surface  naked,  lower  thick- 


POLYTODIACE^..  97 

ly  covered   with   white   powder;   sori   numerous,   very   small. 

Alaska. 

XIV.    CRYPTOGRAMMA  R.  Br.     ROCK  BRAKE. 

Sporangia  on  the  back  or  near  the  ends  of  the  free  veins, 
forming  oblong  or  roundish  sori,  which  are  at  length  confluent, 
and  cover  the  back  of  the  pinnules.  Indusium  continuous, 
formed  of  the  membranous,  somewhat  altered  margin  of  the 
pinnule,  at  first  reflexed  along  the  two  sides  and  meeting  at  the 
midrib,  at  length  opening  out  flat.  Name  from  Gr.  KpvTtroS, 
concealed,  and  ypdn^a,  line,  alluding  to  the  concealed  fructifi- 
cation. A  boreal  genus  of  three  species. 

1.  C.    acrostichoides    R.  Br.     Stipes  densely  tufted,  stra- 
mineous;   fronds   dimorphous,  sterile  ones   on  shorter  stalks, 
tri — quadripinnatifid,  with  toothed  or  incised  segments;  fertile 
ones  long-stalked,  less  compound,  with   narrowly  elliptical   or 
oblong-linear  pod-like  segments.     (C.  crispa,  forma  Americana 
Hook.,  Allosorus  acrostichoides  Spreng.)     Lake  Superior,  Colo- 
rado to  California  and  northward. 

2.  C.  Stelleri    (Gin.)   Prantl.     Stipes   scattered,  2'— 3'  long, 
stramineous   or  pale-brown;   fronds  2' — 4'    long,    i' — 2'  broad, 
ovate,  bi — tripinnatifid  ;    pinnae  lanceolate-deltoid,  cut    to   the 
rachis  into  a  few  broad,  blunt,  slightly  lobed  pinnules ;  texture 
thinly  herbaceous,  flaccid  ;  indusium  broad,  continuous,  mem- 
branous; veins  of  the  fertile  fronds  mostly  only  once  forked. 
(Pell<za  gracilis  Beddome  and  former  edition,  A.  gracilis  Presl, 
Pteris   gracilis    Michx.,    P.   Stelleri    Gmelin.)       Labrador  to 
Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Colorado,  and  northward. 

XV.     PELL^EA  Link.     CLIFF-BRAKE. 

Sori  intramarginal,  terminal  on  the  veins,  at  first  dot-like  or 
decurrent  on  the  veins,  at  length  confluent  laterally,  forming  a 
marginal  line.  Indusium  commonly  broad  and  membranous, 
formed  of  the  reflexed  margin  of  the  fertile  segment.  Name 
from  Gr.  jreAAoS,  dusky,  alluding  to  the  dark-colored  stipes.  In- 
cludes 55  species. 

§i.  CHEILOPLECTON  Fee,  Baker.  Texture  herbaceous  or  sub- 
coriaceous,  veins  clearly  visible,  indusium  broad,  in  most  of  the 
species  rolled  over  the  sorus  till  maturity. 


98        OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

1.  P.  Breweri    D.   C.  Eaton.     Stipes    densely  tufted,   cov- 
ered with  narrow,  crisped,  fulvous   chaff ;    fronds    2' — 6'  long, 
simply  pinnate,  the  pinnae  short-stalked,  6 — 8  pairs,  membra- 
nous, mostly  2-parted,  the  upper  segment  larger  ;  segments  ob- 
tuse, in  the  fertile  frond  narrower ;  indusium  continuous,  pale ; 
veins  repeatedly  forked.     Colorado  to  California  and  southward. 

2.  P.  occidentalis  (A.  Nelson)  Rydberg.     Rootstock  short 
and  thick,  densely  covered  with  rusty  hair-like  scales ;  stipes 
cespitose,  |' — 1£'  long,    dark    brown,    glabrous,    shining,    very 
slender;   fronds  i|' — 3^'  long,  oblong,  simply  pinnate;    pinnae 
2 — 5  pairs,  oblong,  mostly  obtuse,  dark  green,  shining,  firm  and 
somewhat  coriaceous,  entire  or  the  lower  ones  with  one  or  two 
lobes  at  the  base ;    indusium  broad,  wholly  covering  the  sori. 
(Pellcea    piimila    Rydberg,    P.    atropttrpurea    occidentalis    A. 
Nelson.)     South  Dakota  to  Montana  and  Washington. 

§  2.    ALLOSORUS   Baker.      Texture  coriaceous,  the  veins  not 
perceptible  ;  indusium  broad,  conspicuous. 

*  Pinnules  or  segments  obtuse  or  barely  acute. 
t  Fronds  pinnate  or  bipinnate. 

3.  P.  atropurpurea  (L.)  Link.     Stipes  tufted,  2' — 6'  long, 
dark-purple;    fronds  4' — 12'  long,  2' — 6'  broad,    lanceolate   or 
ovate-lanceolate,  simply  pinnate  or  bipinnate  below  ;  pinnules 
and  upper  pinnae  i' — 2'   long,  J'  broad  or  less,  nearly  sessile, 
smooth;  indusium  formed  of  the  slightly  altered  incurved  edge 
of  the  pinnules.     (Allosorus  atropurpureus  Kunze,  Pteris  atro- 
purpurea  L.,  Platyloma   atropurpurea  J.  Sm.)     Arizona,  New 
Mexico,  Texas  to  Vermont  and  northward. 

4.  P.  aspera  (Hook.)  Baker.     Stipes  slender,  2' — 3'  long, 
with  scurfy  pubescence ,  fronds  4' — 6'  long,  oblong-lanceolate, 
bipinnate  ;  pinnae   and    pinnules   deltoid-lanceolate  or  oblong, 
pinnules  next  to  main  rachis  often  lobed  ;  all  of  them  rough  cm 
both  surfaces  with  short  harsh  hairs.    (Cheilanthes  aspera  Hook.) 
Western  Texas  and  New  Mexico. 

ft  Fronds  bi — quadrip innate,  ultimate  segments  cn>al  or  cordate. 

5.  P.  andromedsefolia  (Kaulf.)  Fee.    Stipes  scattered,  pale- 
brown,   2' — 12'  long;   fronds  6'— 12'  long,  3' — 6'  broad,  ovate, 
bi — quadripinnate,    usually   tripinnate  ;    pinnae  rather   distant, 
spreading  ;  ultimate  pinnules  2" — 5"  long,  oval,  slightly  cordate, 


POLYPODIACEJ5.  99 

coriaceous,  the  margin  of  the  fertile  ones  sometimes  revolute  to 
the  midrib;  veins  numerous,  parallel.  (Allosortts  andromedce- 
folius  Kaulf.,  Pteris  andromedafolia  Kaulf.)  California. 

6.  P.  pulchella  (M.  et  G.)  Fee.     Stipes  tufted,  3'— 8'  kmg, 
chaffy  at  base,  nearly  black;   fronds  3'— 9'  long,   i'—  5'  broad, 

_^  triangular-ovate,  quadripinnate  below,  gradually  simpler  above  ; 
lower  pinnae  deltoid,  narrowly  triangular  above;  ultimate  pin- 
nules numerous,  i" — 3"  long,  oval  or  often  cordate-ovate, 
stalked,  coriaceous,  smooth,  the  edges  often  much  reflexed. 
(Allosorus  pulchellus  Mart,  and  Gale.)  Western  Texas  and 
New  Mexico. 

ttt  Fronds    tri — quadripinnatifid  ;    segments    linear-oblong  ; 
secondary  rachises  margined. 

7.  P.  marginata  (Hook.)  Baker.     Stipes,  3' — 9'  long,  casta- 
neous,  shining,  slightly  fibrillose  at  the  base  ;  fronds  4' — 6'  long, 
nearly  as  broad,  deltoid;  the  lower  pinnae  much  the  largest; 
indusium  broad,  continuous,  the  margins  slightly  erose  ;  texture 
chartaceous.     (Cheilanthes  marginata  Hook.)     Huachuca  Mts., 
Arizona  (Lemmon). 

**  Pinnules  mucronulate  or  decidedly  acute. 
t  Fronds  narrowly  linear  in  outline,  usually  bipinnate. 

8.  P.  ternifolia  (Cav.)  Link.     Stipes  tufted,  nearly  black, 
2' — 6'  long,  fronds  4' — 10'  long,  narrowly  linear;  pinnae  usually 
9 — 15   pairs,  all  but  the  uppermost  trifoliate;  segments  com- 
monly  linear,    slightly    mucronate,    coriaceous,  sessile   or  the 
middle  one  indistinctly  stalked,  the  edges  much  inflexed  in  fer- 
tile fronds  ;  indusium  broad.     {Pteris  ternifolia  Cav.)     Western 
Texas. 

9.  P.  brachyptera  (Moore)  Baker.     Stipes  2' — 8'  long,  pur- 
plish-brown ;  fronds  3' — 8'  long,  narrow  in  outline  from  the  as- 
cending secondary  rachises,  bipinnate;  pinnules  crowded,  2" — 
5"  long,  oblong-linear,  simple  or  trifoliate,  acute  or  mucronulate  ; 
margins  inflexed  to  the  midrib  in  fertile  fronds.    (P.  ornithopus, 
var.  brachyptera  D.  C.  Eaton,  Platyloma  belhtm  et  P.  brachypte- 
rum  Moore.)     California. 

ft  Fronds  broader,  lanceolate  to  ovate,  bi — tripinnate. 


100     OUR   NATIVE   FERXS   AXD    THEIR   ALLIES. 

10.  P.  ornithopus     Hook.         Stipes    tufted,    3'— 8'    long, 
rather  stout,  dark-brown;  fronds  very  rigid,  3' — 12'  long,  2 — 3' 
broad,  broadly  deltoid-lanceolate,  bi — tripinnate  ;  primary  pin- 
nae spreading  or  obliquely  ascending,  linear,  bearing  4 — 16  pairs 
of  trifoliate  (varying  from  simple  to  5 — 7  foliate)  mucronulate 
pinnules,  li" — 2"  long ;  margins  inflexed   to    midrib  in  fertile 
fronds.     (Allosorus  mucronatus  D.  C.  Eaton.)     California. 

11.  P.  Wrightiana  Hook.     Rootstock  short,  thick,  densely 
chaffy;    stipes    crowded,   purplish-brown,  4' — 6'   long;    fronds 
3' — 10'  long,  i' — 3'  broad,  lanceolate  to  deltoid,  trifoliate  at  apex, 
bipinnate  below ;    pinnae  short  with  i — 2  pairs  of  long  narrow 
pinnules  besides  the  terminal  one;    mucro  short,  with  margin 
broad  and  cartilaginous ;   margins  of  fertile  fronds  inflexed  to 
the  midrib.     Very  variable;   forms  with  fronds  decreasing  to 
simply  pinnate  at  the  apex,  and  longer  but  less  broadly  winged 
mucro    form    var.    longimucronata    Dav.    (P.    longimucronata 
Hook.);  forms  with  pinnules  densely  crowded  are  var.  compacta 
Dav.     Colorado  and  Texas  to  California. 

12.  P.  densa    (Brack.)    Hook.     Rootstock  slender,   chaffy 
with  blackish  scales ;   stipes  densely  tufted,  wiry,  very  slender, 
castaneous,   3 — 9'   long;     fronds    ovate    or   triangular-oblong, 
i' — 3'  long,  densely  tripinnate;    segments  3" — 6"  long,  linear, 
nearly  sessile,  sharp  pointed  or  mucronate,  in  the  fertile  fronds 
entire,  with  the  margin  narrowly  recurved  ;   in  the  rare  sterile 
fronds  sharply   serrate,  especially  toward  the  apices,     (pnych- 
ium  densuin  Brack.)     Utah  (Jones),  and  Wyoming  to  California, 
Oregon,  and  northward  ;  Mt.  Albert,  Gaspe,  Quebec  (Allen). 

§  3.  PLATYLOMA  J.  Sm.,  Baker.  Texture  coriaceous,  the  veins 
usually  hidden,  the  ultimate  segments  broad  and  flat,  the  indusium 
so  narrow  as  to  be  soon  hidden  by  the  fruit. 

13.  P.  Bridgesii    Hook.    Stipes  2' — 6' long,  tufted,  castane- 
ous ;  fronds  4' — 6'  long,  i'  or  more  broad,  simply  pinnate ;  pinnae 
5 — 18   pairs,  mainly  opposite,  nearly   sessile,  glaucous  green, 
coriaceous,  rounded  or  cordate  at  the  base*;   indusium  narrow, 
formed  of  the  whitish  margin  of  the  pinna,  soon  flattened  out 
exposing  the  broad  sorus.     California. 

14.  P.  f  lexuosa  (Kaulf.)  Link.  Rootstock  creeping,  slender ; 
stipes  reddish,  passing  into  a  more  or  less  flexuous  or  zigzag 


POL  Y PODIA  CE&.  I O I 

rachis ;  fronds  6' — 30'  long,  ovate-oblong,  bi — tripinnate  ;  second- 
ary and  tertiary  rachises  usually  deflected  and  zigzag,  rusty 
puberulent  or  nearly  smooth  ;  pinnae  mostly  alternate  ;  ultimate 
pinnules  5" — 10"  long,  roundish-ovate,  or  sub-cordate,  smooth ; 
margins  at  first  reflexed,  soon  flattened  out.  (Allosorus  flexu- 
osus  Kaulf.)  Western  Texas  to  California. 

15.  P.  intermedia  Mett.  Rootstock  long,  wide  creeping, 
slender,  chaffy  ;  stipes  scattered,  4' — 6'  long,  pinkish-stramine- 
ous, smooth;  fronds  5' — 10'  long,  3' — 8'  wide,  ovate-bipinnate; 
pinnae  nearly  opposite,  remote ;  pinnules  2 — 6  pairs,  petiolate, 
sub-coriaceous,  oval  or  cordate-ovate ;  veins  obscure ;  ra- 
chises often  pubescent.  Huachuca  Mountains,  South  Arizona 
(Lemmoti),  Texas  (Xealley). 

XVI.     STRUTHIOPTERIS  Scopoli. 

Sori  in  a  continuous  band  next  the  midrib  of  the  contracted 
pinnae  of  the  fertile  frond,  covered  till  mature  by  an  elongate 
indusium,  either  formed  of  the  recurved  and  altered  margin  of 
the  pinna  or  submarginal  and  parallel  to  the  margin.  Veins  of 
sterile  frond  oblique  to  the  midrib,  simple  or  forked  and  free. 
Fronds  mostly  elongate,  of  two  kinds,  the  sterile  foliaceous, 
the  fertile  commonly  much  contracted.  Name  from  Gr. 
arpovQiaoi',  an  ostrich,  and  nrepi?,  fern.  Genus  principally  of 
south  temperate  zone. 

I.  S.  spicant  (L.)  Scop.  (DEER-FERN.)  Rootstock  short, 
very  chaffy ;  fronds  tufted,  erect,  sterile  ones  nearly  sessile, 
narrowly  linear-lanceolate,  8' — 24'  long,  i' — 3'  wide,  tapering  to 
both  ends,  cut  to  the  rachis  into  oblong  or  oblong-linear  closely 
set  segments,  the  lower  ones  gradually  diminishing  to  minute 
auricles  ;  fertile  fronds  sometimes  three  feet  high,  long-stalked, 
pinnate ;  pinnae  somewhat  fewer  and  more  distant,  longer  and 
much  narrower  than  in  the  sterile  frond;  indusia  distinctly  in- 
tramarginal.  (Osmunda  spicant  L.,  Blechnum  boreale  Swz., 
Loniaria  spicanl  Desv.)  California,  Oregon,  and  northward. 

Some  of  the  specimens  from  California  and  Oregon  have 
leaves  three  or  four  times  as  long  as  those  found  in  Europe, 
and  it  is  possible  that  we  have  two  species  instead  of  one. 


102     OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

XVII.     BLECHNUM  L. 

Sori  linear,  continuous  or  nearly  so,  parallel  with  the  midrib 
and  usually  contiguous  to  it.  Indusium  membranous,  distinct 
from  the  edge  of  the  frond.  Veins  usually  free.  Name  from 
Gr.  fihexvov,  an  old  name  for  some  kind  of  fern.  A  tropical  and 
south  temperate  genus,  containing  19  species. 

§    EUBLECHNUM. 

i.  B.  serrulatum  Richard.  Stipes  6' — 12'  long,  stout, 
erect,  nearly  naked;  fronds  oblong-lanceolate,  i° — 1£°  long, 
3' — 6'  broad,  with  12 — 24  pairs  of  distinct  linear-oblong  pinna;, 
the  margins  finely  incised  ;  texture  coriaceous ;  veins  very  fine 
and  close;  fertile  pinnae  nai rower.  (Blechnum  angustifolium 
Willd.)  Florida. 

y£   XVIII.     WOODWARDIA  Sm.     CHAIN-FERN. 

Sori  oblong  or  linear,  sunk  in  cavities  in  the  frond,  arranged 
in  a  chain-like  row  parallel  to  the  midribs  of  the  pinnae  and 
pinnules  and  near  them.  Indusium  sub-coriaceous,  fixed  by  its 
outer  margin  to  the  fruitful  veinlet  and  covering  the  cavity  like 
a  lid.  Veins  more  or  less  reticulate.  Named  for  Thomas  J. 
Woodward,  an  English  botanist.  Contains  six  species,  mostly 
north  temperate. 

§i.  EUWOODWARDIA.  Fronds  uniform,  the  veins  forming 
at  least  one  series  of  areolcz  between  the  sort  and  margins. 

1.  W.  radicans  (L.)  Sm.     Caudex  stout,  erect,  rising  a  little 
above  the   ground;   stipes   stout,  8' — 12'   long;   fronds  3° — 5° 
long,    sub-coriaceous,  pinnate;   the  pinnae  8' — 15'  long,  2' — 4' 
broad,  oblique  to  the  rachis,  pinnatifid  nearly  to  the  midrib ; 
segments  spinulose-serrate ;   veinlets  forming  a  single  row  of 
oblong  sorus-bearing  areolae  next  the  midvein,  besides  a  few 
oblique  empty  areolae  outside  the  fruiting  ones,  thence  free  to 
the  margin.     California,  Arizona. 

§  2.  ANCHISTEA  Presl.  Fronds  uniform,  the  veins  free  be- 
tween the  sori  and  the  margins. 

2.  W.  Virginica  (L.)  Sm.    Stipes  stout,  12' — 18'  long ;  fronds 
oblong-lanceolate,    12' — 18'  long,   6' — 9'    broad;   pinnae   linear- 
lanceolate,  4' — 6'  long,  f — i'  broad,  cut  nearly  to  the  rachis 
into  linear-oblong  lobes.     {W.  Banisteriana  Michx.,  Blechnioti 


POLYPODIACEJE.  IO3 

.,  B.  Virginicum  L.,  Doodia  Virginica  Presl.) 
Canada  and  Florida  westward  to  Michigan  and  Arkansas. 

§  3.  LORINSERIA  Presl.  Fronds  dimorphous,  'veins  every- 
where forming  areolce. 

3.  W.  areolata  (L.)  Moore.  Sterile  frond  with  slender 
stipes,  9' — 12'  long,  6' — 8'  broad,  deltoid-ovate,  with  numerous 
oblong-lanceolate  sinuate  pinnae  ;  rachis  broadly  winged  ;  fertile 
frond  with  an  elongate,  castaneous  stem  ;  pinnae  3' — 4'  long,  nar- 
rowly linear.  (  IV.  onocleoides  Willd.,  W.  angustifolia  Sm. ,  Acro- 
stichum  areolatum  L.)  Maine  to  Florida,  Michigan,  Arkansas. 

XIX.     ASPLENIUM  L.     SPLEENWORT. 

Sori  oblong  or  linear,  oblique,  separate;  indusium  straight 
or  rarely  curved,  opening  toward  the  midrib  when  single,  some- 
times double.  Veins  free  in  all  our  species.  Name  from  Gr.  a, 
without,  and  a-itXr/y,  spleen.  A  cosmopolitan  genus  contain- 
ing nearly  350  species. 

§  i.  EUASPLENIUM.  Veins  free,  simple  or  branched ;  indu- 
sium straight  or  slightly  curved,  attached  to  the  upper  side  of  a 
vein, 

*  Fronds  simple. 

1.  A.  serratum    L.     Fronds  growing  in  a  crown  from  a 
short,  stout,  erect  rootstock,  i^° — 2-|°  long,  2' — 4'  broad,  simple, 
spatulate  or  linear-oblanceolate,  the  margin  crenulate  or  irreg- 
ularly  but    finely   serrate,  sub-coriaceous ;    midrib  prominent, 
keeled  and  often  blackish  purple  beneath  ;  veins  closely  placed, 
free,  once  forked ;    sori  elongate,    following   the   veins   of  the 
upper  half  of   the    frond    from    near   the    midrib    half-way   to 
the  margin  ;  indusia  single,  the  free  edge  entire.     Florida. 

**  Fronds  pinnatifid  or  pinnate  belcnv,  tapering  to  a  point. 

2.  A.    pinnatifidum    Nutt.       Stipes    tufted,    2'— 4'    long  ; 
fronds  3' — 6'  long,  i' — i-J-'  broad,  lanceolate,  pinnatifid,  or  pin- 
nate below,  tapering  to  a  slender  prolongation  above;    lobes 
roundish-ovate,  or  the  lowest  pair  acuminate ;   sori  numerous. 
Pennsylvania  to  Illinois,  Kentucky,  and  Alabama. 

3.  A.  ebenoides  R.  R.  Scott.      Fronds  4'— 9'  long,  broadly 
lanceolate,    pinnatifid,    pinnate    below ;     apex    prolonged    and 
slender;   divisions  lanceolate  from  a  broad  base,  the  lower  ones 


104     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

shorter ;  stipes  black  and  polished,  as  is  the  lower  part  of  the 
midrib,  especially  beneath.  Schuylkill  River,  above  Manayunk, 
Pennsylvania  (Scoff) ;  Havana,  Alabama  (Miss  Tutwiler) ; 
Canaan,  Connecticut  (Adam)  ;  near  Poughkeepsie,  New  York 
(Lowri),  Jackson  County,  Illinois  (Patterson). 

***  Fronds  once  pinnate. 
t  Pznnce  \' — £'  long,  mostly  blunt. 
\  Rachis  chestnut-brown  or  blackish. 

4.  A.  platyneuron  (L.)  Oakes.     Stipes  3' — 6'  long,  chest- 
nut-brown, nearly  naked  ;  fronds  8' — 16'  long,  linear-lanceolate; 
pinnae  20—40,  lanceolate,  subfalcate,  or  the  lower  oblong,  \' — i 
long,  the  dilated  base  auricled  on  the  upper  or  both  sides ; 
sori  often  10—12  on  each  side.     (A.  ebeneum  Ait.,  Polypodium 
platyneuron  L.)     Florida  and  Kentucky  northward  to  Canada. 

5.  A.  parvulum    Mart.    &    Gale.      Fronds    tufted,    erect, 
rigid,  4' — 10'  long,  narrowly  linear-lanceolate ;  stipe  and  rachis 
black  and  shining;  pinnae  numerous,  oblong,  obtuse,  entire  or 
crenulate,  auricled  on  the  upper  side,  nearly  sessile ;    middle 
pinnae  longest,  the  lower  gradually  shorter  and  deflexed  ;  sori 
short.     Virginia  and  Florida  to  Arkansas  and  New  Mexico. 

6.  A.  trichomanes  L.     Stipes  densely  tufted,  purple-brown, 
shining ;    fronds  3' — 8'  long,  £'  or  more  broad,  linear ;    pinnae 
15 — 30  pairs,  nearly  opposite,  roundish-oblong  or  oval,  the  two 
sides  unequal,  obliquely  wedge-truncate  at  the  base,  attached 
by  a  narrow  point,  the  edge  slightly  crenate.     Eastern  United 
States  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

7.  A.  vespertinum    Maxon.     Rhizome   short;    stipes   pur- 
plish-brown,   tufted.   £' — 1 1'    long;    fronds    3'— 9'  long;    pinnae 
20 — 30  pairs,  subopposite  or  alternate,  subsessile,  oblong-linear 
or  oblong,  slightly  reduced  below,  more  or  less  auricled  at  base, 
the  basal  vein   once  or  twice  forked  ;    margins  regularly  and 
coarsely  crenate-serrate,  each   lobe  containing  a  simple  vein ; 
sori  short,  8 — 12  to  each  pinna  ;  indusium  crenate  ;  spores  ovoid 
with  closely  reticulated  winged  ridges.     Southern  California. 

8.  A.   monanthemum    L.     Stipes    densely    tufted,    3' — 6' 
long,  chestnut-brown;  fronds  6' — 12  long,  narrow,  with  20 — 40 
pinnae  on  each  side ;  pinnae  crenate  above,  abruptly  narrowed 


POLYPODIA  CEM.  I O  5 

at  base,  often  auricled,  the  lower  much  reduced ;  texture  sub- 
coriaceous;  veins  flabellate ;  sori  i — 2,  linear-oblong,  parallel 
with  lower  edge  of  pinnae.  Huachuca  Mountains,  Arizona. 

1 1  Rachis  green, 

9.  A.  viride  Huds.  Stipes  densely  tufted,  2' — 4'  long, 
naked,  the  lower  part  chestnut-brown  ;  fronds  2' — 6'  long,  £' 
broad,  with  12 — 20  pinnae  on  each  side,  which  are  ovate  or 
rhomboidal  in  outline,  the  upper  edge  narrowed  suddenly  at 
the  base,  the  lower  obliquely  truncate,  the  outer  part  deeply 
crenate ;  rachis  naked ;  sori  copious.  Vermont,  Canada,  and 
New  Brunswick. 

10.  A.  dentatum   L.     Stipes    tufted,    2' — 6'    long,    naked, 
ebeneous  below;    fertile  fronds  2' — 3'  long,  i'  broad,  with  6 — 8 
pairs  of  stalked,  oblong-rhomboidal  pinnae,  the  lower  side  trun- 
cate with  a  curve,  the  outer  edge  irregularly  crenate ;  sterile 
fronds  smaller  on  shorter  stipes  ;  rachis  naked ;  sori  copious  in 
parallel  rows.     Florida,  South  Carolina. 

tt  Pinnce  only  2 — 5,  linear -cuneate. 

11.  A.  septentrionale  (L.)  Hoffm.     Stipes   dense,  tufted, 
3' — 6'  long,  slender,  naked,  ebeneous  toward  the  base;  fronds 
irregularly  forking,  consisting  of  two  to  five  narrowly  linear 
rather  rigid  segments,  which  are  entire  or  more  frequently  cleft 
at  the  end  into  a  few  long  narrow  teeth  ;  sori  elongate,  placed 
near  the  margin,  usually  facing  each  other  in  pairs,  commonly 
only  two  or  three  to  each  segment.     Ben  Moore,  New  Mexico 
(Bigelow)  ;   Middle  Mountains,  Colorado,  Arizona. 

ttt  Pinna  numerous,  linear  or  linear-oblong,  acute  or  acuminate. 

12.  A.  angustifolium    Michx.     Stipes    i°   or   more    long, 
brownish,   slightly   scaly   below;    fronds    \\°— 2°    long,   4'— 6' 
broad,  lanceolate-oblong,  flaccid  ;    pinnae  20—30  pairs,  linear* 
lanceolate,  acuminate,  entire  or  crenulate,  those  of  the  fertile 
frond  narrower  ;  texture  thinly  herbaceous ;   sori  linear,  20—40 
each  side  of  the  midvein.     New  England  to  Kentucky  and  Wis- 
consin. 

13.  A.  firmum    Kunze.     Stipes  4'— 8'  long,  erect,  grayish, 
naked;    fronds  6—12'  long,  3—4'  broad;    pinnae  12—20  pairs, 
oblong-lanceolate,  the  point  bluntish,  the  margin   inciso-cre- 
nate,  the  upper  one  narrowed  suddenly  at  the  base,  the  lower 


IC6     OUR  NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

one  obliquely  truncate ;   sori  short,  falling  short  of  both  mid- 
vein  and  margin.     Florida,  Arizona. 

****  Fronds  bi—tripinnatifid. 

t  Texture  somewhat  coriaceous. 

14.  A.   ruta-muraria  L.     Stipes  tufted,  2' — 4'  long,  naked  ; 
fronds  ovate-deltoid,   i' — 2'  long,  bi — tripinnate  below,  simply 
pinnate  above  ;  the  divisions  rhombic-wedge-shaped,  toothed  or 
incised  at  the  apex  ;  veins  flabellate ;  sori  few,  elongate,  soon 
confluent.    -Vermont  to  Michigan  and  Kentucky. 

15.  A.  montanum    Willd.      Stipes     tufted,      2' — 3'     long, 
naked;   fronds   2' — 5'    long,   ovate-lanceolate,   pinnate;    pinnae 
3 — 7  parted  below,  incised  or   toothed  above;  veins  obscure; 
sori    short,  the  basal  ones    sometimes  double.     Lantern    Hill, 
Connecticut,  and  Ulster  County,  New  York,  to  Georgia,  Ken- 
tucky, and  Arkansas  ;  Cuyahoga  Falls,  Ohio  (Kirby). 

16.  A.  Glenniei    Baker.     Stipes  densely  tufted,  \' — i'  long, 
castaneous;  fronds  3' — 4' long,  bipinnate;  pinnae  20 — 25  pairs, 
lanceolate,  the  lower  gradually  reduced  ;  pinnules  5 — 6  pairs, 
toothed  or  externally  sub-entire.    Huachuca  Mountains,  Arizona 
(Lemmon). 

17.  A.  fontanum   (L.)   Bernh.     Stipes    i' — 3'  long,  slightly 
scaly  at  base  ;  fronds  3' — -6'  long,  V — i'  wide,  tapering  both  ways 
from  above  the  middle;    pinnae    10 — 15  pairs,  their   segments 
deeply  dentate  with  spinulose  teeth  ;  sori  one  or  two  to  each 
segment.     Lycoming  County,  Pa.  (McMinri),  Springfield,  Ohio 
Spence). 

ft  Texture  thinly  herbaceous  or  membranous. 

18.  A.    Bradley!   D.  C.   Eaton.     Stipes   tufted,  2' — 3'  long, 
ebeneous,  as  is  also  the  lower  half  of  rachis;  fronds  3' — 7'  long, 
pinnatifid ;    pinnae    8 — 12    pairs,    the    lowest    not    reduced,    the 
largest  pinnatifid  with  oblong  lobes  toothed  at  the  tip;  seri 
short.     Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, and  Arkansas. 

19.  A.   myriophyllum     Mett.      Rootstock    short;    stipes 
tufted,   2'— 6'   long;  fronds  3' — 10'  long,  lanceolate,  bi- — tripin- 
nate ;    segments    entire   or   2— 3-lobed,    bearing   a   single   vein 
and  sorus.     Forms  with  fronds  narrowly  linear,  f — i'  wide,  and 


POL  Y PODIA  CE^E.  I O/ 

widely   ascending,    7 — 8-lobed    pinnae,  are   var.    Btscaynianum 
D.  C.  Eaton.     Florida. 

20.  A.  cicutarium   S\vz.      Stipes  tufted,  4' — 8'  long,  green- 
ish, naked;  fronds  6' — 15'  long,  4' — 6'  broad,  with  10 — 15  hori- 
zontal pinnae  on  each  side,  the  lower  ones  2' — 3'  long,  i'  broad, 
cut  down  to  the  rachis  into  linear  or  oblong  segments,  which 
are  once  or  twice  cleft  at  the   apex;    rachis  compressed  and 
often  winged  ;  sori  principally  in  two  rows.     Florida. 

§  2.  ATHYRIUM  Roth.  Veins  free  ;  sori  more  or  less  curved, 
sometimes  horseshoe-shaped,  often  crossing  to  the  outer  or  lower 
side  of  the  fruiting  vein  lei. 

21.  A.    thelypteroides    Michx.      Stipes    long,    erect,    stra- 
mineous; fronds  i° — 2°  long,  6' — 12'  broad,  bipinnatifid  ;  pinnae 
linear-lanceolate  ;  segments  crowded,  oblong,  minutely  toothed  ; 
sori  5 — 6  pairs  to  each  segment,  slightly  curved,  the  lower  ones 
often  double.     New  England  to  Kentucky  and  Illinois. 

22.  A.    filix-foemina    (L.)    Bernh.      (LADY-FERN.)     Stipes 
tufted,  6' — 12'  long,  stramineous  or  brownish;  fronds  delicate, 
i^° — 3°  long,  broadly  oblong-ovate,  bipinnate  ;  pinnae  4' — 8'  long, 
lanceolate;   pinnules  oblong-lanceolate,  pointed,  more  or  less 
pinnately  incised  or  serrate,  distinct  or  confluent  on  the  second- 
ary rachises  by  a  very  narrow  and  inconspicuous  margin  ;  sori 
short ;  indusium  straight  or  variously  curved.     Widely  distrib- 
uted from  the  Eastern  States  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  Arizona, 
and  California. 

23.  A.  cyclosorum    Rupr.      Larger,    often    12' — 16'    wide; 
sori   mostly  curved  so  as   to   appear  circular,  with   a  narrow 
sinus.     Idaho  to  Washington. 

XX.     PHYLLITIS    Ludwig.     HART'S-TONGUE. 

Sori  linear,  elongate,  almost  at  right  angles  to  the  midvein, 
contiguous  by  twos,  one  on  the  upper  side  of  one  veinlet,  and 
the  next  on  the  lower  side  of  the  next  superior  veinlet,  thus 
appearing  to  have  a  double  indusium  opening  along  the  middle. 
Name  from  Gr.  0uAAov,  a  leaf,  alluding  to  its  simple  form. 
Includes  five  species. 

I.  P.  scolopendrium  (L.)  Newm.  Stipes  2' — 6'  long,  fibril- 
lose  below;  fronds  oblong-lanceolate  from  an  auricled  heart- 


IO8     OUR   NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

shaped  base,  entire  or  undulate,  7' — 18'  long,  i' — 2'  wide,  bright 
green.  (Scolopendrium  Smith,  Asplenium  scolopendrhim  L.) 
Chittenango  Falls  and  Jamesville,  New  York  ;  Woodstock,  New 
Brunswick  (Suitoti),  Owen  Sound,  Canada  (Mrs.  Roy},  Ten- 
nessee. 

XXI.     CAMPTOSORUS    Link.     WALKING-LEAF. 

Sori  oblong  or  linear,  irregularly  scattered  on  either  side  of 
the  reticulate  veins  of  the  simple  frond,  those  next  the  midrib 
single,  the  outer  ones  inclined  to  approximate  in  pairs,  or  to 
become  confluent  at  their  ends,  thus  forming  cropked  lines. 
Name  from  Gr.  KanitroS,  curved,  and  (rcapo?,  a  heap.  Includes 
only  two  species. 

I.  C.  rhizophyllus  (L.)  Link.  Fronds  evergreen,  tufted, 
spreading  or  procumbent,  4'— 9'  long,  lanceolate  from  an  auricled, 
heart-shaped  or  often  hastate  base,  tapering  above  into  a  slender 
prolongation  which  often  roots  at  the  apex.  Var.  intermedius 
Arthur  is  an  interesting  form,  differing  mainly  fsom  the  typical 
forms  in  having  the  base  acute,  without  proper  auricles  and 
with  a  single  fibro-vascular  bundle  in  the  stipe.  (Antigramma 
rhizophylla  J.  Sm.,  Scofopendrtum  rhizophyllum  Hook.,  Asple- 
nium  rhtzophyllum  L.)  New  England  to  Wisconsin  and  south- 
ward ;  the  variety  in  Iowa. 

XXII.    PHEGOPTERIS    Fee-     BEECH-FERN. 
Sori   small,  round,  naked,  borne  on  the  back  of  the  veins 
below  the  apex.     Stipe  continuous  with  the  rootstock.     Veins 
free  or  reticulate.     Name  from   Gr.   <t»iyo$,  a  beech-tree,  and 
itrepi?,  a  fern.     Includes  95  species. 

§  i.     EUPHEGOPTERIS.     Veins  free. 

*  Fronds  triangular,  bipinnatifid;  pinna  sessile,  adnate  to  a 
winged  racht's. 

i.  P.  phegopterls  (L.)  Unde.  Stipes  6'— 9'  long  ;  fronds 
longer  than  broad,  4' — 9'  long,  4'— 6'  broad,  hairy  on  the  veins 
especially  beneath  ;  pinnae  linear-lanceolate,  the  lowest  pair  de- 
flexed  and  standing  forward  ;  segments  oblong,  obtuse,  entire, 
the  basal  ones  decurrent  and  adnate  to  the  main  rachis  ;  sori  near 
margun.  (P.  polypodioides  Fee,  Polypodium  phegopteris  L.,  P. 
connectile  Michx.)  New  England  to  Virginia  and  westward. 


POL  Y PODIA  CEsE.  1 09 

2.  P.  hexagonoptera  (Michx.)   Fee.     Stipes    stramineous, 
naked;    fronds   as   broad    as   long   or  nearly  so,   7' — 12'  long, 
slightly  pubescent,  and  often  finely  glandular  beneath  ;  upper 
pinnae  oblong,  obtuse,  toothed  or  entire,  the  very  large,  lowest 
pinnae  elongate  and  pinnately  lobed  ;  sori  near  the  margin  or 
some  between  the  sinus  and  the  midrib.     (Pofypodittm  hexagon- 
opterum  MU/hx.)     Canada  to  Illinois,  Kentucky,  and  Florida. 

**  Fronds  oblong-lanceolate,  tripinnatifid  ;  rachis  wingless, 

3.  P.  alpestris   (Hoppe)  Mett.     Rootstock  short,  erect  or 
oblique ;  stipes  4' — 10'  long,  with  a  few  brown  spreading  scales 
near  the  base  ;  fronds  i° — 2°  long,  pinnae  deltoid-lanceolate,  the 
lower  ones  distant  and  decreasing  moderately  ;  pinnules  oblong- 
lanceolate,    incised    and    toothed  ;    sori   small,    rounded,    sub- 
marginal.      (Polypodium    alpestre    Hoppe,    Aspidium    alpestre 
Swz.)     California  and  northward  ;  Idaho  (Sandberg). 

***  Fronds  ternate,  the  three  divisions  petioled  ;  rachis  wingless. 

4.  P.  dryopteris(L.)  Fee.    (OAK-FERN.)    Rootstock  slender, 
creeping;    fronds   broadly  triangular,   4' — 8'    wide;   the   three 
primary  divisions' i — 2-pinnate  ;  segments  oblong,  obtuse,  entire 
or  toothed  ;  sori  near  the  margin.     {Polypodium  dry  opt  er  is  L., 
Nephrodium  dryopteris  Michx.)     Northeastern  United  States  to 
Virginia,  and  westward  to  Oregon  and  Alaska. 

5.  P.    Robertiana    (Hoffm.).      Stipes   6' — 10'    long,    stra- 
mineous,   glandular;  fronds   6'— 8'    long,    5'— 7'   wide,    deltoid- 
ovate  in  outline,  bipinnate,  lowest  pair  of  pinnae  far  the  largest, 
pinnatifid  or  again  pinnate  ;  upper  pinnae   smaller,  pinnatifid, 
lobcd,  or  entire  ;  sori  copious,  forming  submarginal  rows  around 
the  segments.     (P.  calcarea  Fee.)     Minnesota  (Cathcart),  Deco- 
rah,  Iowa  (Hohuay),  Northeast  Territory  (Macouri),  Idaho. 

§  2.  GONIOPTERIS  Presl.      Veins  pinnate,  the  lower  veinlets 
of  contiguous  groups  uniting. 

6.  P.  tetragona  (Swz.)  Fee.     Rootstock  creeping ;  stipes 
6' — 18'    long,   naked   or  slightly  villose ;   fronds    i° — 2°    long, 
6' — 1 2'  broad  ;  pinnae  numerous,  spreading  3' — 6'  long,  the  lowest 
narrowed  at  the  base  and  sometimes  stalked,  deeply  pinnatifid  ; 
texture   thinly   herbaceous;    rachis   and   under   surface   finely 
pubescent ;    sori    in   rows   near  the   midrib.     Marion  County, 
Florida  {Reynolds^  "**"- 


1 10      OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

7-  P.  reptans  (Swz.)  Eaton.  Rootstock  short,  creeping; 
stipes  3' — 10'  long,  clustered,  gray-stamineous,  slender,  naked  ; 
fronds  4' — 12'  long,  membranous,  softly  hairy  with  branched  or 
stellate  hairs,  oblong-lanceolate,  pinnate  with  nearly  or  quite 
sessile,  oblong,  crenately  pinnatifid  pinnae,  the  apex  pinnatifid, 
often  elongate  and  rooting;  veins  pinnate,  simple,  the  basal 
veinlets  often  anastomosing;  sori  on  the  middle  of  the  veinlets, 
rather  small,  sometimes  with  a  minute  rudimentary  indusium. 
(Polypodium  reptans  Swz.,  Aspidium  reptans  Mett.)  On  cal- 
careous rocks,  on  left  bank  of  Withlacoochee  River,  15  miles 
N.E.  from  Brooksville,  Florida  (/.  Donnell  Smith). 

XXIII.     DRYOPTERIS    Adans.     SHIELD-FERN.      , 

Sori  round,  borne  on  the  back  or  rarely  at  the  apex  of  the 
veins.  Indusium  flat  or  flattish,  cordato-reniform  and  attached 
by  the  centre  or  sinus.  Veins  nearly  always  free.  Stipe  con- 
tinuous with  the  rootstock.  Name  from  Gr.  Spv?,  oak,  and 
Trrepz'S,  a  fern.  (Aspidium  Swz.  in  part.)  A  cosmopolitan 
genus  containing  150  species. 

*  Fronds  thin-membranous  ;  "veins  simple  or  once  forked. 

t  Lowest  pinna  gradually  reduced  to  mere  lobes. 
|  Fronds  in  a  crown  from  a  stout,  creeping  rootstock. 

1.  D.  Montana    (Vogl.)   Ktze.     Rootstock   oblique,   scaly; 
stipes  short,  scaly  below ;  fronds   \\° — 2°  long,  broadly  lanceo- 
late, tapering  below,  glandular;  pinnae  2' — 3'  long,  deeply  pin- 
natifid, the   lower  slightly   more   distant;    sori   medium   size, 
nearly  marginal ;  indusia  more  or  less  toothed  at  the  margin. 
(Polypodium   montanum   Vogl.,  P.  oreopteris   Ehrh.)      British 
Columbia  (Macoun),  Unalaska  (Turner). 

2.  D.   Nevadensis    (Eat.)    Unde.       Rootstock    creeping, 
densely  covered  with  the  persistent  bases  of   former  stalks; 
stipes  short,  scaly  below  ;  fronds  i£° — 3°  long,  lanceolate,  with 
pinnae  linear-lanceolate  from  a  broad  base,  and  crowded  seg- 
ments slightly  hairy  on  the  veins  and  with  minute  resinous 
particles  ;  sori  small,  nearer  the  margin  than  the  vein  ;  indusium 
minute,  furnished  with  a  few  dark-colored  marginal  glands  and 
with  jointed  hairs  on  the  upper  surface.     California. 


POL  Y PODIA  CEsE.  1 1 1 

\  I  Root  stocks  stout,  erect,  forming  a  short  caudex  ;  fronds  in 
a  crown. 

3.  D.    contermina    (Desv.)     Ktze.,    var.    strigosa    (Fee) 
Unde.     Rootstock  often  extending  a  foot  above  the  ground; 
stipes  very  stout,  narrowly  wing-margined  near  the  base  ;  fronds 
i" — 4°  long,  lanceolate,  caudate-acuminate,  much  narrowed  at 
the  base;   pinnae  sessile,  narrowly  lanceolate  from  a  broader 
base,  deeply  pinnatifid,  the  under  surface  dotted  with  resinous 
globules;    veins  simple;    sori  near  the   margin  with    minute 
glandular  somewhat  pilose  indusia.     Fort  Meade,  Florida. 

JJf  Rootstocks  slender,  creeping  ;  fronds  scattered. 

4.  D.  Noveboracensis  (L.)  Gray.     Rootstocks  wide  creep- 
ing; fronds  i° — 2°  long,  4' — 6'  broad,  tapering  both  ways  from 
the  middle ;  pinnae  lanceolate,  sessile,  ciliate,  and  finely  pubes- 
cent beneath  ;  veins  simple  or  those  of  the  basal  lobes  forked  ; 
sori  near  the  margin  ;  indusium  minute,  gland-bearing.     {Poly- 
podium  Noveboracense  L.,  Aspidium  thelypter aides  Swz.)    North 
Carolina  to  Arkansas  and  northward. 

ft  Lower  pinnce  little  smaller  than  those  above. 
\  Veins  forked. 

5.  D.  thelypteris  (L-)  Gray.     Rootstock  creeping ;  fronds 
lanceolate,  scarcely  narrower  at  the  base,  i° — 2°   long,  4' — 6' 
wide,  membranous ;   pinnae  lanceolate,  with  obtuse  segments 
which  often  appear  acute  from  the  strongly  revolute  margin ; 
veins  regularly  once  or  twice  forked;  sori  crowded,  10 — 12  to 
each  segment ;  indusium  slightly  glandular  or  glabrous.     {Poly- 
podium  thelypteris  L.)     New  Brunswick  to  Manitoba  south  to 
Texas  and  Florida. 

\\  Veins  simple. 

6.  D  simulata.  Dav.    Rootstock  slender,  brownish  ;  fronds 
8' — 20'   long,    2' — 7'  wide,    oblong-lanceolate,   tapering    to    an 
acuminate  apex ;  pinnae  12 — 20  pairs,  lanceolate,  the  segments 
obtuse,   entire,    slightly   revolute    in    the   fertile   frond,   finely 
pubescent,  especially  near  the  midribs;  sori  rather  large,  some- 
what distant,  4 — 10  to  each  segment;  indusia  finely  glandular 
at  the  margins.     New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts. 


112     OL'R  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

7-  D.  patens  (Swz.)  Ktze.  Rootstock  stout,  bearing  sev- 
eral fronds  at  the  growing  end;  fronds  2° — 3'  long,  4' — 10' 
broad,  ovate-oblong,  softly  pubescent  beneath ;  pinnae  closely 
placed,  linear-acuminate,  lowest  pair  somewhat  deflexed,  all  cut 
three  fourths  of  the  way  to  the  midrib;  segments  numerous, 
acutish,  basal  ones  longest ;  veinlets  evident,  lowest  ones  of  ad- 
joining segments  often  uniting;  sori  near  the  margin;  indusia 
very  pubescent.  (A.  molle  Kunze.)  Florida  to  California. 

**  Texture  firmer  or  sub-coriaceous,  veins  forking  freely. 

t  Fronds  pinnate  ;  pinna:  cut  into  spreading  triangular  lobes  ; 
sort  confluent. 

8.  D.  unita  (L.)  Ktze.,  var.  glabra  (Mett.)  Unde.     Stipes 
i£°  long,  brownish,  naked  ;  fronds  I £°  or  more  long,  5' — 8'  broad  ; 
pinnae  narrow,  cut  from  one  third  to  half-way  down  into  sharp, 
pointed  lobes;  lower  pinnae  not  reduced;  veins  pinnate  in  the 
broad  lobes  with  6—8  veinlets  on  each  side,  the  lower  ones  of 
contiguous  groups  united  ;  sori  near  the  ends  of  the  veins  prin- 
cipally in  the  lobes.     Florida. 

ft  Fronds  bipinnatifid  or  bipinnate ;  indusia  rather  large ; 
segments  not  spinulose. 

|  Fronds  small,  narrowly  lanceolate. 

9.  D.  fragrans  (L.)  Schott.     Fronds  4' — 12'  high,  glandu- 
lar-aromatic ;  pinnae  linear-oblong,  pinnately  parted ;  segments 
toothed  or  nearly  entire,  nearly  covered  beneath  with  the  very 
large  thin  imbricate  indusia,  which  are  orbicular  with  a  narrow 
sinus,  the   margin  ragged  and  sparingly  glanduliferous.     (Ne- 
phrodium  fragrans  Rich.)     New  England,  New  York  to  Wis- 
consin, and  northward. 

\\  Fronds  larger,  mostly  2° — 4°  high. 

A.  Fronds  bipinnatifid  or  nearly  twice  pinnate ;  indusia 
large,  thinnish  and  fiat, 

10.  D.  Floridana  (Hook.)  Ktze.     Stipes  6 — 10'  long,  spar- 
ingly  clothed   with   ovate   scales;   fronds   lanceolate,   18 — 20' 
long,  5' — 8'  broad;  fertile  pinnae  confined  to  the  upper  half  of 
the    frond,    narrowly   lanceolate,    cut   down    to    the    narrowly 
winged  secondary  rachises  into  oblong,  distinct  pinnules  ;  the 
sterile   pinnae   broader,   shorter,   and    sub-deltoid    below,   less 


POL  I  'POD  I  A  CEJE.  1 1  3 

deeply  cut.  (Aspidhim  Floridanum  D.  C.  Eaton,  Nephro- 
dium Floridanum  Hook.)  Florida. 

it.  D.  cristata  (L.)  Gray.  Fronds  linear  or  lanceolate  in 
outline,  i° — 2"  long;  pinnae  short,  2' — 3'  long,  triangular-ob- 
long or  the  lowest  nearly  triangular,  deeply  pinnatifid  ;  seg- 
ments 6 — 10  pairs,  finely  serrate  or  cut-toothed;  sori  as  near 
the  midvein  as  the  margin  ;  indusia  smooth,  naked.  (A.  Lan- 
castriense  Spreng.,  Nephrodium  cristatum  Michx.,  Lastrea  cris- 
tata Presl.)  Canada  to  Arkansas. 

Var.  Clintoniana  (Eat.)Unde.  Fronds  much  larger,  2^° — 4° 
long;  pinnae  oblong-lanceolate,  broadest  at  base,  4'— 6'  long, 
i' — 2  broad,  deeply  pinnatifid;  segments  8 — 16  pairs,  crowded 
or  distant,  linear-oblong,  obscurely  serrate;  veins  pinnately 
forking,  bearing  the  sori  near  the  midvein.  (D.  Goldieana  celsa 
Palmer.)  New  England,  New  York,  and  westward. 

12.  D.    Goldieana    (Hook.)   Gray.     Fronds   broad,    2°— 4° 
long;    pinnae  6' — 9'    long,   broadest    in   the   middle,   pinnately 
parted  ;  the  segments  about  20  pairs,  oblong-linear,  sub-falcate, 
serrate  with  appressed  teeth  ;  veins  bearing  the  sori  very  near 
the  midvein  ;  indusia  very  large,  orbicular  with  a  narrow  sinus. 
{Nephrodium    Goldieanum    Hook.,  Lastrea  Goldieana   J.   Sm.) 
Canada  to  Kentucky. 

B.  Fronds  mostly  bipinnate ;  indusia  convex,  without  mar- 
ginal glands. 

13.  D.    filix-mas   (L.)   Schott.     (MALE-FERN.)     Rootstock 
stout;  fronds  in  a  crown,  i° — 3°  high,  broadly  oblong  lanceo- 
late, slightly  narrowed  toward  the  base,  bipinnatifid  or  bipin- 
nate ;   pinnules  oblong,  smooth,  polished  beneath,  the  larger 
ones  pinnately  incised  ;  sori  large,  near  the  midvein,  commonly 
on  the  lower  half  or  two  thirds  of  the  segment;  indusia  firm, 
smooth;    rachis   more  or  less  chaffy.     (Nephrodium  filix-mas 
Rich.,  Lastrea  filix-mas  Presl.)     Canada  to  Colorado,  Arizona, 
California,  and  Oregon. 

74.  D.  marginalis  (L.)  Gray.  Fronds  nearly  coriaceous 
in  texture,  6' — 2°  long,  ovate-oblong ;  pinnae  lanceolate,  broadest 
just  above  the  base;  pinnules  oblong  or  oblong-falcate,  entire 
or  crenately  toothed  ;  sori  close  to  the  margin.  (Polypodium 
marginale  L.,  Nephrodium  marginale  Michx.,  Lastrea  margi- 


114     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

nalt's  ].  Sm.)     Northern  United  States  and  Canada. 

ttt  Fronds  bipinnate  or  tripinnatifid  ;  segments  spinulose  tootJied. 

15.  D.  rigida  (Hoffm.)  Unde.,  var.  arguta  (Kaulf.)  Unde. 
Rootstock  short,  stout ;  fronds  in  a  crown  on  chaffy  stalks,  half- 
evergreen,  smooth  above,  paler  and  more  or  less  glandular  be- 
neath,  i° — 3°   high,   ovate-lanceolate   or  triangular-lanceolate, 
bipinnate ;   pinnae  broadly  oblong-lanceolate,  the  lowest  ones 
broadest,  scarcely  shorter  than  the  middle  ones;  pinnules  ob- 
long, incised  or  douWy  serrate  with   spinulose  teeth;   indusia 
firm,  convex,  the  edge  bearing  short-stalked  glands.     (A.  argu- 
tum  Kaulf.)     California,  Oregon,  British  Columbia. 

16.  D.   spinulosa  (L.)  Ktze.     Stipes  with  a  few,  pale,  de- 
ciduous scales;   fronds  ovate-lanceolate,  bipinnate,  the  pinnae 
oblique    to    the    rachis,    elongate-triangular,   the    lower   pairs 
broadly  triangular;  pinnules  oblique  to  the  midrib,  connected 
by  a  very  narrow  wing,  oblong,  incised,  or  pinnatifid  with  lobes 
spinulose  toothed  ;  indusia  smooth  without  marginal  glands. 
(Nephrodium    spinulosutn     Desv.,    Lastrea    spinulosa     Presl.) 
Canada  and  Northern  United  States. 

Var.  Intermedia  (Willd.)  Unde.  Scales  of  the  stipes  brown 
with  a  darker  centre;  fronds  oblong-ovate,  bi — tripinnate  ; 
pinnae  spreading,  oblong-lanceolate,  the  lowest  unequally  tri- 
angular-ovate; pinnules  crowded,  pinnately  divided;  margin 
of  indusium  denticulate  and  beset  with  stalked  glands.  (A.  in- 
termedium Willd.,  A.  Americanum  Dav.)  Canada  to  Tennes- 
see. 

Var.  dilatata  (Hoffm.)  Unde.  Scales  of  stipes  large, 
brown  with  a  darker  centre  ;  fronds  broadly  ovate  or  triangular- 
ovate,  oftenest  tripinnate;  pinnules  lance-oblong,  the  lowest 
often  much  elongated  ;  indusia  smooth  and  naked.  (A.  dila- 
tatum  Swz.,  A.  campylopterum  Kunze.,  Nephrodium  dilatattim 
Desv.,  Lastrea  dilatata  J.  Sm.)  A  dwarf  form  is  var.  dume- 
torum.  Canada  and  New  England  to  Oregon. 

17.  D.  Boottii  (Tuck.)  Unde.     Scales  of  stipes  pale  brown; 
fronds  elongate  oblong  or  elongate  lanceolate  in  outline;  pin- 
nules  broadly  oblong,  very   obtuse,  the   lower   pinnatifid,  the 
upper  and  smaller  merely  serrate  ;  indusia  minutely  glandular. 


POL  Y PODIA  CE^E.  1 1 5 

(A.  spinnlosum,  var.  Boottii  Gray.)     New  England,  New  York, 
and  northward. 

18.  D.  patula  (Swz.)  Unde.  Stipes  8' — 12'  long,  stra- 
mineous, scaly  at  base;  fronds  pale  green,  i° — 2°  long,  6' — 12' 
broad,  ovate-lanceolate ;  pinnse  lanceolate  or  the  lower  sub- 
deltoid  ;  rachis  and  both  surfaces  naked ;  sori  in  rows  midway 
between  edge  and  midrib;  indusium  conspicuous,  naked.  (Ne- 
phrodiinn  patulum  Baker,  N.  Mexicanum  Hook.  Distributed 
by  Lemmon  as  A.  Karwinskyanum.}  Huachuca  Mountains, 
Arizona  (Lemmon). 

XXIV.     POLYSTICHUM    Roth. 

Sori  round,  borne  on  the  back  or  rarely  at  the  apex  of  the 
veins.  Indusium  flat  or  flattish,  peltate,  i.e.,  fixed  at  the  centre 
and  becoming  free  all  around  the  margin.  Veins  all  free. 
Name  from  Greek  ito\v ?,  many,  and  crrz;j;o?,  a  row.  Includes  25 
or  more  species. 

*  Fronds  simply  pinnate. 
t  Fronds  scarcely  stalked,  linear-lanceolate. 

1.  P.  lonchltis  (L.)  Roth.     (HOLLY-FERN.)     Fronds  9' — 20' 
long,  rigid  ;  pinnae  i'  or  more  long,  broadly  lanceolate-falcate 
or  the  lowest  triangular,  strongly  auricled  on  the  upper  side, 
the  lower  obliquely  truncate,  densely  spinulose-toothed  ;    sori 
contiguous  and  near  the  margin.     Canada  and  Wisconsin  to 
Utah  (Jones),  Castle  Lake,  Siskiyou  County,  California  (Pringle), 
Mt.  Peddo,  Washington  (Suksdorf),  and  northward. 

t  t  Fronds  long-stalked,  lanceolate. 

2.  p.  acrostichoides  (Michx.)  Schott.    (CHRISTMAS-FERN.) 
Stipes   6' — 8'   long,  clothed  below  with  pale-brown  lanceolate 
scales;  fronds  i° — 2"  high,  3' — 5' broad  ;  pinnae  linear-lanceolate, 
somewhat  falcate,  half-halberd-shaped  at  the  base,  serrulate  with 
appressed  bristly  teeth  ;  the  fertile  ones  contracted  and  smaller, 
bearing  contiguous  sori   near  the  middle,    soon   covering  the 
entire  surface.     A  form  with  cut-lobed,  often  strongly  falcate 
pinnse,  set  obliquely  to  the  rachis,  and  with  the  tips  of  nearly 
all  bearing  sori,  is  the  var.  incisum  Gray.     (Nephrodium  acro- 
stichoides Michx.)     New  England  to  Florida,  Mississippi,  and 
northward. 


Il6     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

3.  P.  munitum  (Kaulf.)  Underw.     Rootstock  stout;  stipes 
growing  in  a  crown,  densely  chaffy  at  base,  more  or  less  naked 
above,  the  rachises  with  smaller  scattered  scales;  leaf  10' — 15' 
long,  2' — 3'  wide,  with  close,  sharply  serrated  horizontal  pinnae, 
which  are  sharp-pointed  and  slightly  falcate,  strongly  auricled 
on  the  upper  side  at  base,  the  serrations  bristle-pointed  ;  sori  in 
a  single  row  rather  near  the  margin.     Idaho  to  British  Colum- 
bia and  California. 

Var.  Inciso-serratum  D.  C.  Eaton.  Fronds  taller,  up  to 
6°  long,  with  chaffy  stipes ;  pinnae  3' — 5'  long,  attenuate,  the 
margins  sharply  serrate.  California  and  Oregon. 

Var.  imbricans  D.  C.  Eaton.  Stj^pes  naked,  stramineous; 
fronds  narrow,  the  pinnae  i'  long,  oblique,  imbricated,  the  ser- 
ratures  ending  in  short  points.  Northern  California  to  Wash- 
ington. 

*  *  Pinnce  partly  pinnatifid  below. 

4.  P.  scopulinum  (D.  C.  Eaton)  Maxon.     Rootstock  shoit; 
stipes  2' — 6'  long,  cespitose,  densely  scaly  at  base  (scales  pale), 
with  small  scattered  scales  on  the  rachis ;  fronds  6' — 10'  long, 
li' — 2'  wide,  pinnate,  the  pinnae  with  usually  one  pair  of  pin- 
nules at  the  base ;  the  margin  serrate  with  incurved  teeth,  the 
apex  blunt-rounded  ;    sori    in  a  single  row  either  side  of    the 
midrib   and    nearer  the  rib  than   the  margin ;     indusia   large, 
somewhat  lobed.     California  and  Oregon. 

5.  P.  Californicum  (D.  C.  Eaton)    Underw.     Stipes  4' — 6' 
long,  clustered,  densely  chaffy  at  base,  at  length  nearly  naked 
above  ;  rachises  more  or  less  clothed  with  narrow  scales  ;  fronds 
10' — 12'  long,  2\' — 3'  wide,  pinnate;  lower  pinnae  again  pinnate 
in  the  lower  half,  the  lowest  upper  pinnule  of  each  pinna  en- 
larged, the  upper  half  of  the  pinna  pinnatifid,  incised,  or  serraae 
with    a   spinose    margin  ;    upper   pinnae    incised    at   base    and 
serrate  at  the  tips  ;  sori  i — 3  on  each  pinnule  or  lobe,  commonly 
two  on  the  same  side  of  the  vein.     California. 

*  *  *  Fronds  bipinnattfid  or  nearly  bipinnate. 

6.  P.  Lemmoni    sp.    nov.      Rootstock     short,     ascending; 
stipes  densely  clustered,  densely  chaffy  at  base,  with  pale  cinna- 
mon-brown scales,  2' — 6'  long,  with  more  or  less  scattered  scales 
above;  fronds  7'  — 10'  long,  i^' — 3' wide,  bipinnatifid  or  nearly 


POL  YPODTACE.7'1.  1 1 / 

bipinnate  in  the  lower  third ;  pinnae  closely  placed,  ovate, 
rounded  at  the  ends,  made  up  of  8 — 10  oval  pinnules  or  divi- 
sions besides  the  terminal  one,  obtuse,  not  armed  ;  sori  one  or 
two  to  each  pinnule.  (Aspidiuni  moJiroides  and  Dryopteris 
morotides  of  previous  editions,  not  A.  mohroioides  Bory,  an 
allied  but  very  distinct  plant  of  the  Southern  Hemisphere.) 
Near  Mt.  Shasta,  California  (Lemmoii). 

*  *  *  *  Fronds  farge,  fully  bipinnate. 

7.  P.  aculeatum  (Swz.)  Roth.     Stipes  6' — 8'  long,  densely 
scaly  at  base;    lamina   18' — 24'   long,  6' — 10'  wide,   bipinnate; 
pinnules  sharply  serrate,  incised,  or  the  lowest  pinnatifid,  the 
upper  basal  serration  or  lobe  more  pronounced  like  a  small 
auricle,  all  ending  in  an   acuminate  bristle-tip  ;  under  surface 
pilose  with  slender  hairs.     California. 

8.  P.  Braunii  (Spenner)  Lawson.    Stipes  growing  in  a  crown, 
densely  chaffy;    fronds  lanceolate,  12'— 18'  long,  with  numerous 
horizontal  oblong-lanceolate  pinnae,  the  lower  gradually  reduced 
in   size  and   obtuse;   pinnules  ovate  or  oblong,  truncate  and 
almost  rectangular  at  the  base,  sharply  toothed,  beset  with  long, 
soft,  and  chaffy  hairs;  rachis  with  light  brown  chaff.    (Aspidium 
Braunii  Spenner.)     Maine  to  New  York  and  northward. 

XXV.     PHANEROPHLEBIA   Presl. 

'Ufe 

Sori  round,  borne  on  the  back  of  forking  veins.  Indusiiim 
flat  or  flattish  peltate,  opening  all  round  the  margin.  Veins 
several  times  forking,  often  united  to  form  areolae.  Name  from 
Greek  <parep6s,  distinct,  and  0/\<=/3o?,  a  vein.  Eight  species 
are  known  from  tropical  America. 

i.  P.  auriculata  Underw.  Rootstock  short,  creeping, 
densely  covered  with  the  bases  of  the  persistent  stipes ;  stipes 
stramineous,  4' — 7'  long,  with  abundant  dark-brown  lanceolate 
scales  which  become  narrower  above  and  almost  hair-like ; 
pinnae  10 — 16,  the  terminal  about  like  the  lateral,  2' — 3'  long,  i' 
or  less  wide ;  lateral  pinnae  unequal  at  base,  the  lower  angle 
obliquely  truncate,  the  upper  usually  developed  into  a  well- 
marked  auricle ;  margins  strongly  serrate  or  sometimes  more 
deeply  incised,  the  teeth  ending  in  sharp  prickles  projecting 


Il8     OUR   NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

from  the  margin  at  an  angle  of  30"— 40° ;  texture  thin  ;  veins 
free,  i — 3-forked ;  sori  in  two  more  or  less  clearly  marked  rows 
with  scattering  sori  between  them  and  beyond  the  outer  row. 
(Aspidium  juglandifolium  of  former  editions,  not  of  Kunze.) 
Texas  to  Arizona. 

XXVI.     TECTARIA   Cav- 

Sori  round,  borne  on  the  back  of  the  frond.  Indusium 
peltate,  opening  all  around  the  margin.  Veins  everywhere 
anastomosing,  forming  copious  areolae,  with  free  included  vein- 
lets.  Name  from  Latin  tectum,  a  roof.  A  small  tropical  genus. 

i.  T.  trifoliata  (L.)  Cav.  Stipes  tufted,  i°  or  more  long, 
brownish,  scaly  at  base;  fronds  12' — 18'  long,  6' — 12'  broad, 
with  a  large  ovate-acuminate  terminal  pinna  narrowed  or  forked 
at  the  base,  and  one  or  two  lateral  ones  on  each  side,  the  lowest 
mostly  forked  ;  primary  veins  distinct  to  the  margin ;  areolae 
fine,  copious,  with  free  included  veinlets ;  sori  in  rows  near  the 
main  veins ;  indusia  orbicular,  peltate.  (Aspidtum  trifoliatum 
Swz.)  Florida,  Western  Texas. 

XXVII.      NEPHROLEPIS    Schott. 

Sori  round,  arising  from  the  apex  of  the  upper  branch  of  a 
vein,  usually  near  the  margin.  Indusia  reniform  or  roundish. 
Veins  all  free,  the  fronds  simply  pinnate,  the  pinnae  articulated 
at  the  base,  and  bearing  white  cretaceous  dots  on  the  upper 
surface.  Name  from  Gr.  re&ptis,  a  kidney,  and  AeTrz'S,  a  scale. 
A  tropical  and  sub-tropical  genus  containing  seven  species. 

1.  N.   exaltata  (L.)  Schott.     Stipes  4' — 6'   long,  naked  or 
slightly  scaly;   fronds  i° — 6°  long,  3'--6'  broad;  pinnae  close, 
lanceolate,  the  edge  entire  or  slightly  crenate,  the  upper  side 
auricled  at  the  base,  the  lower  rounded  ;  rachis  nearly  naked  ; 
sori  sub-marginal;  indusia  firm,  distinctly  reniform.     Florida; 
frequent  in  cultivation. 

2.  N.   acuta   (Swz.)    Presl.     Stipes   4' — 8'    long,    naked   or 
slightly  scaly;  fronds  2° — 4°  long,  8' — 12'  broad;  pinnae  4' — 8' 
long,  |' — i'  broad,  acute,  entire  or  slightly  crenate,  the  upper 
side  auricled,  the  lower  rounded  at  base;  rachis  and  both  sides 
nearly  naked ;  sori  submarginal ;  indusia  suborbicular,  subpel- 


POL  YPODIA  CE^.  1 1 9 

tate.     South    bank    of    Miami    River,    Florida.     March,    1887 
(Holden). 

XXVIII.     FILIX    Adans.     BLADDER-FERN. 

Sori  roundish,  borne  on  the  back  of  the  veins.  Indusium 
delicate,  hood-like,  or  arched,  attached  by  a  broad  base  on  the 
inner  side  partly  under  the  sorus,  early  opening,  free  at  the 
other  side,  and  thrown  back  or  withering  away.  Veins  free. 
Name  from  Lat.  filtx,  a  fern.  (Cystopteris  Bernh.  and  former 
editions.)  Found  in  the  temperate  zones  of  both  hemispheres  ; 
contains  five  species. 

*  Fronds  ovate-lanceolate,  bi — tripinnate. 

1.  F.  bulbifera  (L.)  Underw.     Stipes  4' — 6'  long;  fronds 
lanceolate,   elongate,    i° — 2°  long,  bi — tripinnatifid,  pinnae  lan- 
ceolate-oblong ;  pinnules  crowded,  toothed  or  pinnatifid  ;  rachis 
wingless,    often   bearing   bulblets   underneath ;    indusia    short, 
truncate  on  the  free  side.     (Asptdium  bnlbiferum  Swz.,  Nephro- 
dimn  bulbiferum  Michx.)     New  England  to  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina. 

2.  F.   fragilis   (L.)    Underw.       Fronds   oblong-lanceolate, 
4' — 8'  long,    i'— 2f  broad,  bi— tripinnate;  pinnae  and  pinnules 
lanceolate  or  ovate  in  outline,  decurrent  along  the  margined  or 
winged  rachis  ;  indusia  tapering  or  acute  at  the  free  end.     Nar- 
rower, less  divided  specimens,  barely  bipinnate  with  obtuse  and 
bluntly  toothed    pinnules   form   the  var,  dentata   Hook.     Like 
many  other  so-called  varieties  it  passes  insensibly  into  the  typ- 
ical form.     (Aspidium  tenue  Swz.)     New  England  to  Arizona, 
California,  and  northward. 

**  Fronds  deltoid-ovate,  tri — quadripinnate. 

3.  F.    montana     (Lam.)     Underw.       Rootstock    slender, 
creeping ;  stipes  6' — 9'  long,  slender  ;  fronds  about  6'  each  way ; 
lowest  pinnae  deltoid-lanceolate,  much  larger  than  those  above, 
their  inferior  pinnules  i' — i^'  long;  segments  cut  to  the  rachis 
into  oblong  lobes,  deeply  and  sharply  toothed  ;  son  numerous. 
Colorado  (Brandegee),  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  Labrador 
(Butler),  Mt.  Albert,  Gaspe,  Quebec,  and  northward  to  Alaska. 


120     OUR   NATIVE   FERXS   AXD    THEIR   ALLIES. 


XXIX.     ONOCLEA    L. 

Sori  round,  borne  on  the  back  of  the  veins  of  the  contracted 
fertile  frond,  and  quite  concealed  by  their  revolute  margins. 
Indusium  very  thin  membranous,  hemispheric  or  hood-like, 
fixed  at  the  inferior  side  of  the  sorus.  Fronds  conspicuously 
dimorphous.  Name  from  Gr.  ovoS,  a  vessel,  and  K^eteiv,  to 
close,  alluding  to  the  fertile  fronds.  A  single  species. 

i.  O.  sensibilis  L.  (SENSITIVE-FERN.)  Fertile  fronds  bi- 
pinnate,  much  contracted  ;  pinnules  short,  usually  rolled  up  and 
converted  into  berry-shaped  closed  involucres,  and  forming  a 
one-sided  panicle ;  sterile  fronds  broadly  triangular,  deeply  pin- 
natifid  into  lanceolate-oblong  pinnas ;  veins  copiously  anasto- 
mosing. In  -var.  obtusilobata  Torr.  the  sterile  fronds  are  again 
pinnatifid,  more  or  less  contracted  and  revolute,  a^nd  bear  a  few 
sori.  New  England  to  Florida  and  Kansas. 

XXX.     MATTEUCCIA    Todaro. 

Sori  round,  borne  on  the  veins  of  a  contracted  fertile  frond, 
concealed  by  their  revolute  margins.  Fronds  growing  in  a 
crown,  dimorphous.  Veins  free.  Name  from  Carlo  Matteucci, 
an  Italian  professor  of  physics.  Contains  two  or  three  species. 

I.  M.  struthiopteris  (L.)  Todaro.  (OSTRICH-FERX.)  Fer- 
tile fronds  i° — H°  long,  simply  pinnate  with  necklace-shaped  pin- 
nae formed  of  the  strongly  revolute  margins  ;  sterile  fronds  2° — 6° 
long,  growing  in  a  crown,  broadly  lanceolate,  bipinnatifid,  the 
lowest  pinnae  gradually  much  shorter ;  veins  pinnate,  free  and 
simple  ;  sori  crowded,  confluent.  (Onoclea  struthiopteris  Hoffm., 
Struthiopteris  Pennsylvania  Willd.,  S.  Germanica  Willd.,  Os- 
munda  struthiopteris  L.)  New  England  to  Illinois. 

XXXI.     WOODSIA    R.  Br. 

Sori  round,  borne  on  the  back  of  simply  forked  free  veins. 
Indusium  inferior,  thin  and  often  evanescent,  either  small  and 
open,  or  early  bursting  at  the  top  into  irregular  pieces  or  lobes. 
Named  for  Joseph  Woods,  an  English  botanist.  A  genus  of 
high  temperate  or  boreal  latitudes  including  15  species. 

§  I.     EUWOODSIA.     Indusium  minute  or  evanescent,  open  and 


POL  YPODIA  CE.-E.  1 2  t 

fiat  from  an  earfy  stage,  concealed  tinder  the  sorus,  its  margin 
cleft  into  slender  hairs  or  cilia. 

*  Stipes  obscurely  jointed  near  the  base  ;  cilia  of  the  indusium 
long,  inflexed  over  the  sporangia. 

t  Fronds  thickly  clothed  underneath  'with  rusty  bristle-like 
chaff. 

1.  W.  Ilvensis  (L.)-    R-    Br.     Fronds   broadly   lanceolate, 
smoothish   above,  pinnate;    pinnae  crowded,  sessile,  pinnately- 
parted,  the  crowded  segments  oblong,  obscurely  crenate;  sori 
near  the  margin,  somewhat  confluent  when  old.     (  W.  rufidula 
Beck.,  AcrosticJmm   Ilvense  L.,  Polypodium  Ilvense  Swz.,  Ne- 
phr odium  rufidulum  Michx.,  Aspidium  rtifidulum  Willd.)     Vir- 
ginia to  Kentucky,  westward  and  northward. 

ft  Fronds  glabrous  or  nearly  so. 

2.  W.  alpina  (Bolt.)  S.  F.  Gray.     Stipes  and  rachis  often 
slightly  hairy ;  fronds  linear-lanceolate,  pinnate;  pinnae  corda- 
to-ovate,  pinnatifid  with  few  (5 — 7)  broadly  obovate  entire  lobes. 
Vermont,  New  York,  and  northwestward.    ( W.  hyperborea  R.  Br.) 

3.  W.  glabella    R.  Br.     Smooth   and    naked   throughout ; 
fronds   linear,    tapering   slightly   below,    2' — 5'    high,    pinnate ; 
pinnae  deltoid  or  ovate,  the  lower  rather  remote,  cut  into  3 — 7 
rounded  or  subcuneate  entire  lobes.     Vermont,  New  York,  and 
northward. 

**  Stipes  not  jointed ;  cilia  of  the  indusium  very  short,  hid- 
den by  the  sporatigia. 

4.  W.  scopulina    D.  C.   Eaton.     Rootstock  short,   creep- 
ing, very  chaffy  ;    stipes  2' — 4'  long,  puberulent  like  the  rachis 
and  under  surface  of  the  frond  with  minute  flattened  hairs  and 
stalked  glands  ;  fronds  lanceolate,  4' — 8'  long,  pinnate  ;    pinnae 
numerous,  oblong-ovate,  pinnatifid  with  10— 16  short  ovate  or 
oblong  toothed   divisions ;    indusia  very  delicate,  deeply  cleft 
into  laciniae  which  terminate  in  short  hairs.     Colorado,  Ari- 
zona, California,  Oregon,  and  northward. 

5.  W.  Oregana  D.  C.  Eaton.     Stipes  and  fronds  smooth  ; 
fertile  fronds  taller  than  the  sterile  ones;  pinnae  triangular-ob- 
long, pinnatifid  ;  segments  oblong  or  ovate,  toothed  or  crenate; 
teeth  often  reflexed  and  covering  the  submarginal  sori ;  indusia 


122     OUR   NATIVE   FERNS   AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

very  minute,  divided  almost  to  the  centre  into  a  few  beaded 
liairs.     Arizona,  Utah,  Colorado,  Oregon,  and  northward. 

6.  W.  IVfexicana   Fee.     Stipes   2' — 3'   long,   smoothish    or 
with   a  few  scattered   scales ;   fronds   3' — 9'   long,  lanceolate ; 
pinnae    sub-opposite,    triangular-lanceolate,   pinnately   divided 
into  finely-toothed  segments,  the  teeth  in  young  fronds  ending 
in  delicate,  semi-transparent,  ciliated  tips  ;  sori  near  the   mar- 
gin, broad,  confluent ;  receptacles  dot-like,  scales  of  indusium 
four,  laciniate,   narrow,  dividing  at  the  end   into   articulated 
hairs  ;  sporangia  nearly  sessile.     Arizona,  New  Mexico. 

§  2.  HYPOPELTIS  Torr.  Indusium  conspicuous,  at  first  en- 
closing the  sporangium,  but  early  opening  at  the  top  and  splitting 
into  several  spreading  jagged  lobes. 

7.  W.  obtusa  (Spreng.)  Torr.     Stipes   3' — 6'   long;    fronds 
broadly    lanceolate,    minutely    glandular-hairy,    6' — 12'    high, 
nearly  bipinnate  ;  pinnae  rather  remote,  triangular-ovate  or  ob- 
long,  pinnately   parted ;    segments    oblong,   obtuse,   crenately 
toothed,  the  lower  ones  pinnatifid  ;  veins  forked.     (  W.  Perrin- 
iana   H.  &  G.,  Aspidium  obtusum  Willd.,   Cheilanthes  crenata 
Kunze,  Hypopeltis  obtusa  Torr.)     Smaller  and  more  glandular 
forms    are  var.  glandulosa  Eaton   ( W.  Plummerce  Lemmon). 
New  England  to  Kentucky,  Kansas,  and  Arizona. 

XXXI.      DENNSTJEDTIA    Bernh. 

Sori  small,  globular,  marginal  or  intramarginal.  Sporangia 
borne  in  an  elevated,  globular  receptacle,  enclosed  in  a  mem- 
branous, cup-shaped  indusium,  which  is  open  at  the  top,  and  on 
the  outer  side  partly  adherent  to  a  reflexed  toothlet  of  the  frond. 
Named  for  Dennstaedt,  a  German  botanist,  1738-1822.  Includes 
about  20  species,  long  confused  with  the  arborescent  genus 
Dicksonia. 

§  SlTOLOBIUM  }.  Sm. 

i.  D.  punctilobula  (Michx.)  Bernh.  Rootstock  slender, 
creeping,  naked;  stipes  stout,  chaffless  ;  fronds  \° — 2j3  long, 
5' — 9'  broad,  ovate-lanceolate  and  pointed,  usually  tripinnatifid  ; 
pinnae  lanceolate,  pointed  ;  pinnules  cut  into  oblong  and  obtuse 
cut-toothed  lobes  ;  rachis  and  under  surface  minutely  glandular 
and  hairy.  {Dicksonia  punctilobula  Gray  and  former  editions  ; 
D.  pilosiuscula  Willd.)  Canada  to  Alabama. 


MA  RSI  LEA  CE^E.  1 2  3 

Family  7.     MARSILEACE/E    R.   Br. 

Perennial  plants  rooted  in  mud,  with  a  slender  creeping 
rootstock  and  either  filiform  or  4-parted,  long-petioled  leaves. 
Fructification  consisting  of  sporocarps  borne  on  peduncles, 
which  rise  from  the  rootstock  near  the  leaf-stalk  or  consolidated 
with  it  and  containing  both  macrospores  and  microspores.  Con- 
sisting of  two  genera  both  found  in  this  country. 

I.  Marsilea  L.     Sporocarps  ovoid  ;  leaves  quadrifoliate. 

II.  Pilularia  L.     Sporocarps  globose;  leaves  filiform. 

I.      MARSILEA   L. 

Sporocarps  ovoid  or  bean-shaped,  composed  of  two  vertical 
valves  having  several  transverse  compartments  or  sori  in  each 
valve,  the  sori  composed  of  both  macrosporangia  and  micro- 
sporangia.  Sporocarps  also  provided  with  a  ring  which  at  the 
opening  of  the  valves  swells  and  tears  the  sori  from  their  posi- 
tion. Leaves  quadrifoliate  on  slender  petioles  ;  the  sporocarps 
peduncled  and  rising  from  the  petiole  or  from  the  rootstock  at 
the  base  of  the  petiole.  Named  for  Aloysius  Marsili,  an  early 
Italian  naturalist.  Contains  about  40  species,  four  occurring 
within  our  limits. 

*  Sporocarps  2 — 6  on  each  peduncle. 

1.  M.  quadrifolia    L.     Plant    usually   slender,    5 — 12    cm. 
high;  leaflets  variable,  4 — 14  mm.  wide,  5—15  mm.  long,  mar- 
gins entire,  smooth,  or  rarely  with  scattered  hairs  when  young : 
sporocarps  2  (rarely  3)  on  a  branching  peduncle,  which  is  usu- 
ally attached  to  the  stipe  near  its  base,  but  sometimes  as  much 
as  2  cm.  above ;    young  sporocarp  with  short  yellowish-brown 
hairs,  later  becoming  naked  and  dark  purple ;  lower  tooth  ob- 
tuse, upper  small,  acute  or  obtuse ;  sori,  8  or  9  in  each  valve. 
Bantam  Lake,  Litchfield  County,  Connecticut  (Dr.  T.  F.  Allen), 
from  whence  it  has  been  cultivated  in  several  localities. 

2.  M.  macropoda    Engelm.      Plant    robust,     10 — 25    cm. 
high  ;  leaflets  large,  2 — 5  cm.  long,  2  cm.  wide  or  less,  usually 
undulate,  clothed  with  white  hairs  on  both  sides  when  young, 
becoming  smoother  with  age  ;  sporocarps  2 — 6,  on  erect  branch- 
ing peduncles,  ascending,  densely  villose,  6—8  mm.  long,  5 — 6 
mm.  wide  ;  raphe  short,  the  lower  tooth  obtuse,  the  upper  in- 


124      OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

conspicuous  or  wanting ;  sori,  10  in  each  valve.     (M.macropus 
A.  Br.)     Texas,  New  Mexico. 

**  Sporocarps  I  (rarely  2)  on  each  peduncle. 

3.  M.  uncinata   A.   Br.     Plant   6 — 20   cm.    high  ;    leaflets 
nearly  smooth,  entire,  10 — 16  mm.  long  ;  sporocarps  6  mm.  wide, 
8  mm.  long  ;  peduncles  15—30  mm.  long,  2—4  times  the  length 
of  the  sporocarps  ;  raphe  long,  terminating  in  two  approximate 
teeth,  the    upper    longer  and    mostly  uncinately  curved ;    sori, 
13 — 14    in    each    valve.     Western    Louisiana     (Hale),    Dallas, 
Texas  (Reverchoii). 

4.  M.  vestita  Hook.  &  Grev.     Plant  3 — 6  cm.  high  ;    leaf- 
lets entire  or  slightly  toothed  ;  sporocarps  4 — 7  mm.  long,  3 — 5 
mm.  wide ;  raphe  short,  lower  tooth  short  and  blunt,  the  upper 
acute,  a  little  longer,  sometimes  curved ;   paleae  varying  from 
soft,  dense  and  spreading  to  short  and  appressed,  in  mucronata 
forms,  where  it  is  sometimes  wanting  ;  sori,  6 — 11  in  each  valve, 
a  very  variable  species.     (Includes  M.  mucronata  A.  Br.)     Ar- 
kansas (Ntfttall),  Kansas  (  Watson),  Texas,  Arizona  (Lemmori), 
California,  Nevada  (Watson),  Oregon  (Hall),  Washington,  Mon- 
tana   Watson},  Dakota  (Nicollet),  Florida  (Underwood). 

5.  M.  tenuifolia  Engelm.     Plant  much  more  slender,  5 — 15 
cm.  high  ;  leaflets  narrow  (2 — 4  mm.  wide),  more  or  less  falcate, 
the   apex   often   somewhat  truncate    and    unequally  toothed, 
villose  with  appressed  hairs ;  sporocarps  single,  5 — 8  mm.  long, 
4 — 5   mm.   wide,  the  teeth  divergent,  subequal ;  sori,  9 — 11  in 
each  valve.     A  rare  species  only  once  collected.     Pierdenales, 
Texas  {Lindheimer},  Western  Texas  (  Wright). 

II.     PILULARIA    L.       PILLWORT. 

Sporocarps  globose,  longitudinally  2 — 4  celled,  dehiscent  from 
the  apex;  cells  with  parietal  cushions  bearing  in  the  upper  por- 
tion microsporangia  and  below  these  numerous  macrosporangia 
containing  solitary  macrospores.  Leaves  filiform  from  a  slender 
creeping  rootstock,  the  sporocarps  subsessile  or  peduncled  or 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Named  from  Lat.  pilula,  a  pellet. 
Includes  six  species  widely  distributed. 

i.  P.  Americana  A.  Br.  Leaves  set  if  orm,  I'long;  sporo- 
carps i  '  in  diameter,  attached  by  the  side  to  a  short,  descend- 


SA  L  VINIA  CE^E.  1 2  5 

ing  peduncle,  3 — 4-celled  ;  macrospores  13 — 17  in  each  cell, 
not  constricted  in  the  middle.  Santa  Barbara,  California  {Mrs. 
Cooper),  Arkansas  (Xuttall),  Oregon  (Leiberg). 

Family  8.    SALVINIACE^E. 

Floating  plants  with  a  more  or  less  elongate  and  sometimes 
branching  axis  bearing  apparently  distichous  leaves.  Sporo- 
carps  soft,  thin-walled,  two  or  more  on  a  common  stalk,  i -celled, 
with  a  central,  often  branched  receptacle  which  bears  macro- 
sporangia  containing  a  single  macrospore,  or  microsporangia 
containing  numerous  microspores.  Consists  of  the  two  follow- 
ing genera. 

I.  Salvinia    Schreb.     Leaves  6'' — 9"  long,   with   a   distinct 
midrib. 

II.  Azolla  Lam.     Leaves  minute,  numerous,  closely  imbri- 
cate, deeply  lobed. 

I.     SALVINIA   Schreb. 

Floating  annuals  with  slender  stems  bearing  small  two- 
ranked  leaves.  Sporocarps  arranged  in  clusters,  globose,  mem- 
branous, i — 2  of  each  cluster  containing  10  or  more  macro- 
sporangia,  the  others  containing  numerous  smaller  microspo- 
rangia. Named  for  Salvini,  a  Florentine  professor.  Contains 
thirteen  species,  one  of  which  is  found  with  us. 

i.  S.  natans  Hoffm.  Leaves  oblong,  horizontal,  rounded 
or  slightly  cordate  at  base,  i' — i'  long,  bright  green  above,  the 
under  surface  matted  with  brown,  pellucid  hairs;  sporocarps 
4—8  in  a  cluster.  (Marsztia  natans  L.)  Bois  Brule  Bottoms, 
Perry  County,  Missouri  (Demetrzo.}  Reported  by  Pursh  from 
Central  New  York  ;  the  exact  station  unknown. 

II.     AZOLLA    Lam. 

Small,  moss-like  plants  with  pinnately  branched  stems  cov- 
ered with  minute,  imbricate,  2-lobed  leaves,  and  emitting  rootlets 
beneath.  Sporocarps  of  two  kinds,  borne  in  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Smaller  sporocarps  ovoid,  containing  a  single  macro- 
spore  at  the  base.  Larger  sporocarps  globose,  producing  from 
the  base  many  pedicelled  sporangia,  containing  several  masses 


126     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AXD    THEIR  ALLIES. 

of  microspores.     Named  from  Gr.  a'ieiv,  to  dry,  and  o\\vn<xi, 
to  destroy.     Includes  five  species. 

1.  A.  Caroliniana  Willd.     Plants  f — i'  long,  reddish  or 
greenish;  cuticle  of  macrospores  finely  granulate  ;  masses  of  mi- 
crospores with  rigid  septate  processes.     New  York  to  Florida, 
Arizona  and  Oregon. 

2.  A.  filiculoides  Lam.     Fronds   i' — 2'   long,  often  erect- 
crowded  ;  cuticle  of  macrospores  with  large  discoid  tubercles ; 
masses  of  microspores  with  rigid  processes  without  septa.     La 
Honda,  California,  and  possibly  widely  distributed  in  that  state 
since  most  of  the  material  recently  collected  in  California  ap- 
pears to  be  this  species.     The  plants  often   grow  in  densely 
crowded     masses     and     are    usually    much    larger    than    the 
Eastern  species. 


The  order  EQUISETALES  contains  only  a  single  family  made 
up  of  rush-like  plants  often  growing  in  wet  places  or  in  sand. 


Family    1.     EQUISETACE^E    DC. 

Plant  body  rush-like,  often  branched,  with  jointed,  usually 
hollow  stems  rising  from  subterranean  rootstocks,  the  sterile 
leaves  reduced  to  sheaths  at  the  joints,  the  fertile  forming  a 
short  spike  terminating  the  stem.  Prothallium  above  ground, 
green,  variously  lobed,  usually  dioecious.  Represented  at  pres- 
ent by  only  one  genus. 

I.     EQUISETUM  L.     HORSE-TAIL.     SCOURING-RUSH. 

Perennial  plants  with  extensively  creeping  rootstocks.  Stems 
simple  or  branched,  furrowed  lengthwise,  hollow,  and  pro-" 
vided  with  an  outer  circle  of  smaller  cavities  opposite  the  fur- 
rows as  well  as  a  second  and  smaller  series  opposite  the  ridg<es. 
Sporangia  adhering  to  the  under  side  of  the  shield-shaped 
scales  of  the  spike,  one-celled,  opening  down  the  inner  side. 
Spores  furnished  with  two  slender  filaments  attached  by  the 


EQUISETACE&.  12? 

middle.     Name   from   Lat.   equns,   horse,   and   seta,   a   bristle. 
Contains  about  25  species,  widely  distributed. 

§  i.   EUEQUISETUM.  ^Sterns  annual,  stomata  scattered. 
*  Stems  of  two  kinds,  the  pale  or  brownish  fertile  stems  appearing 

earlier  than  the  herbaceous  sterile  ones  ;  fruiting  in  spring. 
t  Fertile  stems  simple,  soon  withering. 

1.  E.  arvense    L.      (HORSETAIL.)       Sterile    stems    green, 
rather  slender,  i° — 2°  high,  6 — 19  furrowed  ;  branches  numerous, 
long,  mostly  simple,  4-angled,  minutely  roughened,  lowest  joint 
commonly  longer  than  the  sheath  of  the  stem ;  fertile  stems 
V — 10'  high,  light  brown,  the  loose  scarious  sheath  mostly  dis- 
tant, whitish,  ending  in  about  12  brown  acuminate  teeth  ;  spike 
rarely  over  i'  long.     (E.  boreale  Bong.)     Virginia  to  California 
and  northward  to  Greenland. 

2.  E.  telmateia  Ehrh.  Sterile  stems  ivory  white  or  greenish, 
stout,  2° — 6°  high,  20 — 40  furrowed  ;  branches  very  numerous, 
erect-spreading,  simple,  4 — 5  angled,  the  ridges  rough  and  sul- 
cate,  the  lowest  joint  shorter  than  the  sheath  of  the  stem  ;  fer- 
tile stems  10' — 15  high,  white,  many-furrowed,  the  loose  brown- 
ish  sheaths  elongate,   deeply   20 — 30  toothed.     (E.  fluviatile 
Sm.,  E.  eburneum   Schreb.,  E.   maximum  Auct.  not  of  Lam.) 
California,  Oregon,  and  northward. 

ft  Fertile  stems  when  older  producing  herbaceous  branches,  only 
the  naked  apex  withering. 

3.  E.  pratense  Ehrh.     Sterile  and  finally  the  fertile  stems 
producing  straight,  simple  branches;  sheaths  of  the  stem  with 
about  ii  short,  ovate-lanceolate  teeth,  those  of  the  branches  3- 
toothed.     (E.  umbrosum  Willd.,  E.  triquetrum  Bory.,^.  Drum 
mondii  Hook.)     Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  northward. 

4.  E.  silvaticum-  L.     Sterile  and  fertile  stems  usually  12- 
furrowed,  producing  compound  branches,  the  branchlets  curved 
downward  ;  sheaths  loose,  those  of  the  stem  with  8 — i4bluntish 
teeth,  those  of  the  branches  with  4 — 5,  and  of  the  branchlets 
with  3  divergent  teeth.     Virginia  to  Michigan,  and  northward 
to  Labrador. 

**  Stems  of  one  kind,   herbaceous ;   branches  simple  or  none ; 

fruiting  in  summer. 
i  Sheaths  somewhat  loose. 


128     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

5.  E.  palustre  L.     Stems  slender,  10' — 18'  high,  very  deep- 
ly 5 — 9  grooved,  the  grooves  separated  by  narrow,  wing-like 
ridges,  roughish  ;  sheaths  with  about  8  lance-awl-shaped,  whit- 
ish margined  teeth;  branches  few  in  a  whorl,  with  mostly  5- 
toothed  sheaths.     (E.  pratense  Reichenb.)     Western  New  York 
and  Wisconsin  to  British  Columbia  and  northward. 

6.  E.  li  to  rale     Kuhl.       Stems    slightly    roughened,    6 — 19 
grooved,  the  carinae  convex  ;  sheaths  sensibly  dilated  above,  the 
uppermost  bell-shaped ;  leaves  convex,  angled  beneath,  sepa- 
rate at  the  commisural  groove  ;  teeth  herbaceous,  membranous 
at  the  margin,  narrow,  lanceolate ;  branches  of  two  kinds,  the 
4-angled  hollow,  the  3-angled  solid,  first  joint  a  little  longer  or 
shorter  than  the  sheath  of  the  stem  ;  spores  abortive,  elaters 
usually  wanting.     Bay  of  Quinte,  Canada  (Macoun);  Vermont 
(Pr ingle);  Oswego  River,  New  York  (Wibbe). 

ft  Sheaths  appressed. 

7.  E.  fluviatile  L.     Stems  2°— 3°  high,  slightly  many-fur- 
rowed, smooth,  usually  producing  upright  branches  after  fruc- 
tification ;  sheaths  appressed,  with  about  18  dark-brown,  short, 
acute,  rigid  teeth  ;  air-cavities  wanting  under  the  grooves,  small 
under  the    ridges.     Includes  E.   limosum    L.      (E.   uliginosum 
Muhl.,   E.  heleocharts  Ehrh.)     Virginia  to  Washington  Terri- 
tory and  northward. 

§  2.  HlPPOCH^ETE.  Stems  perennial,  evergreen;  spikes  tipped 
•with  a  rigid  point ;  stomata  in  regular  rows ;  fruiting  in 
summer. 

*  Stems  tall  and  stout,  tisually  many-grooved. 
t  Branches  numerous,  regularly  "whorled. 

8.  E.  ramosissimum   Desf.     Stem  grooved,  more  or  less 
roughened,  6 — 26  furrowed  ;  ridges  marked  with  bands;  sheaths 
dilated,  teeth  not  grooved,  leaving  a  triangular,  rarely  truncate 
margin  ;    leaves  3 — 4  carinate ;    branches  usually  copious  and 
whorled,  4—9  angled  ;  series  of  stomata  in  1—4  lines.     British 
Columbia  (Lyall). 

9.  E.  Mexicanum   Milde.     Stems  rough,  slender,  inclined 
or  somewhat  erect ;  20 — 24  furrowed,  the  ridges  very  narrow; 
sheaths  long,  cylindric,  truncate;    teeth  grooved;  leaves  flat; 
branches  more  or  less  irregularly  whorled,  6 — 9  angled ;  stomata 


EQ  UISE  TA  CE&.  1 2Q 

in  a  single  series.     Southern  California  in  open  canons  (Mc- 
Clatchie). 

ft  Branches  rare  except  when  the  main  stem  is  broken. 
\  Stems  rough,  ttiberculate. 

10.  E.  robustum   A.   Br.     Stems  3° — 11°  high,  sometimes 
nearly   i'  thick,  20—48    furrowed;    ridges    roughened  with    a 
single  series  of  tubercles ;  sheaths  short,  marked  with   black 
girdles  at  base  and  at  base  of  the  caducous  teeth  ;  ridges  of 
sheaths  tricarinate.     Ohio  to  California  and  northward. 

11.  E.  hiemale  L.  (ScouRlNG-RUSH.)     Stems  i° — 4°  high, 
8 — 34  furrowed  ;  ridges  rough,  with  two  indistinct  lines  of  tu- 
bercles;    sheaths  rather  long,  marked  with  one  or  two  black 
girdles;  ridges  of  the  sheath  obscurely  quadricarinate.     North 
America  generally. 

\\  Stems  smoothish,  scarcely  tuberculate. 

12.  E.  laevigatum  A.  Br.     Stems  i° — 5°  high,  pale  green, 
14 — 30  furrowed  ;  ridges  almost  smooth  ;  sheaths  elongate,  en- 
larged upward,  marked  with  a  black  girdle  at  the  base  of  the 
mostly  deciduous  white-margined  teeth,  rarely  with  a  second  ; 
ridges  of  sheath  with  central  keel  and  rarely  faint  lateral  ones. 
North  Carolina  to  California  and  Oregon. 

**  Stems  slender,  tufted,  5 — \o  grooved. 

13.  E.  varlegatum    Schleich.      Stems    ascending,   6' — 18' 
long,   usually  simple   from  a  branched  base,  5—10  furrowed  ; 
sheaths  green,  variegated  with  black  above,  the  teeth  5 — 10, 
tipped  with  a  deciduous  bristle  ;  central  air-cavity  small.     Bel- 
lows Falls,  New  Hampshire  (Carey),  Niagara  Falls  to  Illinois 
and  northward  to  Greenland  and  Alaska. 

14.  E.  scirpoides  Michx.     Stems  filiform,  very  numerous, 

3' 6'  high,  flexuous  and  curving,  mostly  6-furrowed,  with  acute 

ridges  ;  sheaths  3-toothed,  the  bristle  tips  more  persistent ;  cen- 
tral air-cavity  wanting.     New  England  to  Pennsylvania,  Illinois 
and  northward. 


ISO     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

The  order  LYCOPODIALES  contains  three  families  which  may 
be  distinguished  as  follows : 

1.  Spores  of  one  sort   .    .   Family  r.    LYCOPODIACE^E,  p.  130. 
Spores  of  two  sorts,  powdery  microspores  and  larger  macro- 
spores      2 

2.  Terrestrial ;  plants  with  leaves  in  four  or  more  ranks. 

Family  2.      SELAGINELLACE/E,  p.   137. 

Aquatic,  with  leaves  in  clusters. 

Faintly  3.     ISCETACEJE,  p.  142. 

Family    I.    LYCOPODIACE^E    Lindl. 

Moss-like,  terrestrial  plants  with  small,  lanceolate  or  subu- 
late, sometimes  oblong  or  roundish,  simple  leaves,  arranged  in 
two  to  many  ranks  on  trailing  or  sometimes  erect,  usually 
branching  stems.  Sporangia  i — 3-celled,  solitary  in  the  axils 
or  the  leaves,  or  on  their  upper  surface.  Spores  of  one  kind, 
minute.  Prothallia  (so  far  as  known)  mostly  subterranean, 
with  or  without  chlorophyll,  monoecious.  Contains  four  gen- 
era, the  following  within  our  limits  : 
Leaves  well  developed,  in  4 — many  ranks  ;  sporangia  i -celled. 

I.  LYCOPODIUM. 
Leaves  minute,  abortive  ;  sporangia  3-celled.    .     II.  PSILOTUM. 

I.     LYCOPODIUM   L.     CLUB-MOSS. 

Perennial,  terrestrial  plants,  with  evergreen,  one-nerved 
leaves  arranged  in  4 — 16  ranks.  Sporangia  coriaceous,  flat- 
tened, reniform,  one-celled,  opening  transversely,  situated  in 
the  axils  of  ordinary  leaves,  or  with  fruit-bearing  leaves  modi- 
fied into  bracts  which  are  arranged  in  spikes  either  sessile  or 
peduncled.  Spores  copious,  minute,  sulphur-colored,  inflam- 
mable. Named  from  Gr.  Ai^oS,  wolf,  and  TTOU'?,  foot,  without 
obvious  application.  Contains  nearly  one  hundred  species. 

*  Plants  with  mostly  upright  stems,  with  alternating  zones  of 
leaves  and  sporophylls. 

t  Leaves  hollow  at  their  bases  and  appressed. 

i.  L.  selago  L.  Prostrate  portion  of  stem  very  short, 
abundantly  rooting,  soon  curving  upward  and  dichotomously 
branching  to  form  compact  tufts  (2' — 7'  high)  of  vertically 


L  YCOPODIA  CEJE.  1 3 1 

placed  branches  with  dense  foliage ;  leaves  more  or  less  ap- 
pressed,  or  at  least  upwardly  directed,  triangular  (\\" — 4")  to 
linear-acuminate  (i"  X  5")  or  aciculate,  broadest  at  the  hollow 
base,  gradually  tapering  to  the  acuminate  apex,  entire  ;  sporo- 
phylls  shorter  than  the  leaves,  triangular  ;  sporangia  reniforni  ; 
plant  very  frequently  gemmiparous.  Mountains  of  North 
Carolina,  northward  and  westward  to  Greenland,  Idaho,  Wash- 
ington, and  Alaska. 

1 1  Leaves  flattened  at  their  bases  and  ultimately  more  or  less 
reflexed. 

2.  L.  porophilum  Lloyd  &  Underw.     Prostrate  portion  of 
stems  short,  abundantly  rooting,  curving  upwards,  then  dichot- 
omously  branching  i — 3  times  to  form  a  rather  dense  tuft  (2' — 
4'  high)  of  vertical  stems,  densely  clothed  with  spreading  or 
reflexed  leaves ;  leaves   (3"— 5"  X  i")  very  slightly  broadened 
above  the   middle  and  similarly  contracted  toward  the  base, 
those  between  the  strobilar  regions  shorter  (3" — 4"),  broadest 
at  the  base,  but  very  gradually  tapering,  entire  or  very  minutely 
denticulate ;   sporangia  compressed  reniform  ;   sporophylls  mi- 
nutely denticulate  above  the  middle  or  entire,  acuminate ;  plant 
often    gemmiparous.       Sandstone    rocks,  Wisconsin,   Indiana, 
Kentucky,  and  Alabama. 

3.  L.  lucidulum  Michx.     Prostrate  portion  of  stems  longer 
(2'— 6'),    frequently    rooting,    curving    upward,    and    dichoto- 
mously  branching  i — 3  times  to  form  a  loose  cluster,  4' — 8' 
high,  of  a  few  densely  leafy  vertical  stems,  or  the  stems  occa- 
sionally occur  single  ;  leaves  reflexed,  4" — 5"  X  i"  or  less  wide, 
linear-obovate,  broadest  above  the  middle,  from  which  point 
they    gradually    taper    to    the  \"   wide    base ;     margin    erose 
denticulate  above  the  middle,  acute ;  sporophylls  2" — 4"  long, 
linear,  acute,  entire,  or  sometimes   slightly  denticulate;   spo- 
rangia depressed  reniform  ;   plant  often  gemmiparous.     South 
Carolina  to  Newfoundland  and  Minnesota. 

*  *  Plants  with  more  or  less  extended  horizontal  stems  ;  the 
sporophylls  aggregated  into  terminal  strobiles. 

t  Sporangia    subglobose  ;    sporophylls  similar  to  the  foliar 
leaves. 

\  Sporophylls  short  (2" — 3"). 


132     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

4.  L.  Inundatum  L.     Stems  creeping  horizontally  or  arch- 
ing, about  4'  long,  simple,  or  once  or  twice  forking,  slender,  i" 
or  less  in  diameter,   roots   produced  toward  the   end   of  the 
annual  growth  ;  leaves  linear-lanceolate,  entire,  acute,  curved 
upward  ;  those  of  the  peduncles  straight,  entire,  more  slender, 
and  tapering  ;    peduncles  2"— 3^'  long  or  the  strobiles  sessile ; 
strobiles  4'' — r^'  long;   sporophylls   triangular,  usually  entire, 
or  sometimes  toothed  just  above  the  base,  then  somewhat  con- 
tracted ;    sporangia    subglobose.      Pennsylvania    and    Illinois, 
northward  and  westward  to  British  Columbia  and  Alaska. 

Var.  Bigelovii  Tuck.  Plant  larger  and  more  abundantly 
branching,  with  more  slender  stems  and  slightly  longer  leaves, 
which  are  entire  or  toothed.  New  England  to  Nova  Scotia. 

5.  L.    adpressum     (Chapm.)    Lloyd   &    Underw.      Stems 
prostrate  and  frequently  rooting  or  slightly  arching  and  root- 
ing toward  the  end,  /' — 16'  long,  simple  or  occasionally  pin- 
nately  branching,  thick  (about  ii"  in  diameter)  ;  leaves  thicker 
and  more  rigid  than  in  the  last,  lanceolate-acuminate,  upwardly 
curving,  the  margin  irregularly  toothed,  the  teeth  often  com- 
pound below  the  middle  of  the  leaf;  peduncles  4' — 10'  long, 
usually  tall,  slender,  leafy  with  more  or  less  appressed  subulate- 
toothed  leaves  below  and  similar  entire  leaves  above  ;  strobiles 
narrow,  about  \\"  in  diameter  and  f — 3'  long;  sporophylls  3" 
long  with  a  broad  base,  suddenly  contracted  above  into  a  nar- 
row subulate    apex,   usually   more    or  less   toothed   near  the 
base ;    sporangia  subglobose.     Massachusetts   to    Florida   and 
Louisiana. 

I  I  Sporophylls  longer  (4" — 5"),  usually  much-toothed. 

6.  L.  plnnatum  (Chapm.)  Lloyd  &  Underw.     Stems  pin- 
nately  branching,  elongate  (8' — 12')  and  very  slender  (i" — i") 
with  five  gum  canals,  and  evident  dorsiventral  character,  no 
air-spaces ;    leaves    (4"  X  i")    thin,   linear-lanceolate,    slightly 
curved,  long-toothed,  those  of  the  upper  side  smaller,  all  some- 
what contracted  at  the  base;  those  of  the  peduncles  similar  but 
more  gradually  tapering  to  the  apex;  peduncles  10' — 16' long, 
slender,  very  leafy;  strobiles  i'  —  5'  long,  2j"  thick,  with  spread- 
ing sporophylls,  similar  to  the  peduncular  leaves,  but  longer 


L  Y  CO  POD  I  A  CE^£.  1 3  3 

and  more  gradually  tapering  ;  sporangia  subglobose.     Georgia, 
Florida,  Alabama,  Mississippi. 

7.  L.  alopecuroides  L.     Stems  20'  or  more  long,  \\" — 2' 
thick,  with  an  arching  habit,  rooting  near  the  end,  the  ver- 
tical peduncles  arising  from  the  arches  ;  air-spaces  numerous, 
densely  leafy ;  leaves  2f — 3^"  long,  thicker  than  in  the  last, 
lanceolate-acuminate   spinulose   on  the   sides   of  the  stem  to 
linear-lanceolate  on  the  upper  and  lower  side,   margin  long- 
toothed,  the  lower  surface  usually  very  hairy  near  the  base  ; 
leaves  of  the  peduncles  similar;  peduncles  8' — 12'  long,  densely 
leafy  and  scarcely    distinguishable   from  the   stems ;    strobiles 
i' — 4'  long,    2i"    thick,   when   ripe   with   reflexed   sporophylls 
similar  to  the  peduncular  leaves  but  not  hairy  on  the  under 
side,  longer  (5" — 6")  and  more  gradually  tapering.    Long  Island 
to  Florida  and  Mississippi,  mostly  near  the  coast. 

t  t  Sporangia  transversely  compressed,  reniform  ;  sporophylls 
entirely  unlike  the  foliar  leaves. 

\  Leafy  stems  short,  prostrate,  leaves  lying  nearly  in  one 
plane,  none  beneath. 

8.  L.  Carollnianum  L.     Stems  6" — 4'  long,  slender,  pros- 
trate, pinnately  branching,  rooting  occasionally  from  the  under 
side ;    leaves   strongly  dimorphic,  the  apparently  lateral  ones 
large,   ovate-lanceolate,   falcate,   recurved,   broadest  below  the 
middle,   with   a   midrib    asymmetrically    placed,   thin,    entire, 
acute  ;  leaves  of  the  upper  side  smaller,  subulate  with  a  broad 
base ;  leaves  of  the  peduncles  reduced  to  small  subulate  more 
or  less  appressed  bracts  ;  peduncles  long,  2' — n' long,  slender 
with  few  usually  whorled  or  scattered  bracts ;  strobiles  6" — 2' 
long  with  sporophylls  triangular  or  somewhat  contracted  above 
the  base,  entire  or  erose  margins  ;  sporangia  subglobose.     New 
Jersey  to  Florida  and  Mississippi. 

\  Stems  with  abundant  erect  or  ascending  leafy  branches. 
\  Aerial  portions  dendroid. 

9.  L.   obscurum   L.     (GROUND-PINE.)     Horizontal    sterns 
extensively  creeping  underground,   giving   off  single   vertical 
stems  which  by  repeatedly  branching  produce  a  bushy  mass  of 
foliage,  5' — 10'  high;  leaves  spreading  and  upwardly  curving, 


134     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

linear-lanceolate  and  twisted  especially  above  so  as  to  lie  in  a 
vertical  plane,  acute,  mucronate,  on  the  lower  branches  in  8 
rows,  on  the  terminal  in  6  rows  ;  strobiles  sessile ;  sporophylls 
broadly  ovate,  papery,  and  erose-margined,  acuminate  with  a 
subulate  apex ;  sporangia  reniform.  (L.  dendroideittn  Michx.) 
North  Carolina  to  Canada,  Minnesota,  Montana,  and  Alaska. 

10.  L.  cernuum   L.     Stems  8' — 14'  long,  procumbent  or 
arching,  with  clustered   roots  at   points   of  contact  with  the 
ground,    branching    often   in    different    planes,    the    terminal 
branchlets  often  strobile-bearing  and  nodding ;    leaves  cylin- 
dric,    slender,    subulate,    spreading,    and    upwardly    curving ; 
strobiles  sessile,  2" — 3"  long,  nodding,  with  small   sporophylls 
ovate-acuminate,  thin,  with  deeply  fringed  margins ;  sporangia 
minute,  spherical,  transversely   compressed.    Mississippi,   Ala- 
bama, and  Florida  near  the  coast. 

|  I  Aerial  portions  trailing  with  clustered  branches. 
A.  Leaves  in  6 — 8  rows. 

11.  L.  annotinum  L.       Prostrate  stems  a  yard    or  more 
long,  extensively  creeping  along  the  surface,  very  rarely  pin- 
nately  branching,    stiff,    rooting,    leafy,   with  frequent    aerial 
branches  6' — 10'  tall,  which  fork  i — 3  times  or  not  at  all,  pro- 
ducing slender  erect  branches,  which  are  usually  strobile-bear- 
ing; leaves  in  8  rows,  uniform  in  shape  throughout  the  plant, 
longest  in  the  aerial  parts,  where  they  spread   horizontally,  or 
are  finally  somewhat  reflexed  with  upwardly  curving   apices, 
lanceolate  to  linear-lanceolate,  broadest  at  or  above  the  middle, 
serrulate,  acute,   or  pungent ;  strobiles  sessile  upon  the  leafy 
vertical  branches,   thick,  with  broadly  ovate  sporophylls,  the 
latter  with  erose  margins  and  subulate  tips.     The  so-called  var. 
pungens  has  stiffer,  shorter,  more  erect  leaves.     Massachusetts 
and  Pennsylvania,  northward  and  westward  to  Colorado,  Idaho, 
Washington,  and  Alaska. 

12.  L.  clavatum    L.     (RUNNING-PINE.)     Prostrate   stems 
3° — 6°   long,   creeping    extensively    along    the   surface   of  the 
ground,  very  leafy,   sparingly  rooting,  branching  horizontally, 
with  frequent  aerial  stems  which  are  immediately  ascending  or 
at  first  prostrate,  then  ascending,  producing  pinnate  branches 
of  the   second   and   third   order,   lax,   some   of  them  produc- 


L  YCOPODIA  CE^E.  1 3  5 

ing  stout  peduncles,  3' — 5'  long,  with  subulate  bristle-tipped 
bracts,  producing  3—4  strobiles;  leaves  linear,  acute,  bristle- 
tipped,  entire,  or  minutely  denticulate,  those  of  the  horizontal 
stems  strongly  denticulate ;  sporophylls  deltoid,  erose  subulate- 
tipped  ;  sporangia  reniform.  Pennsylvania  to  Minnesota,  Ore- 
gon, and  northward. 

B.  Leaves  in  five  rows  ;  stems  slender. 

13.  L.  Sitchense  Ruprecht.     Prostrate  stems,  8' — 12' long, 
on  the  surface  or  a  little  buried,  sending  up  frequent  aerial 
stems,  which  branch    several    (4—6)   times   to    form   compact 
masses  of  vertical  terete  branches,  2' — 3'  high,  with  occasional 
stronger  strobile-bearing  branches  ;   leaves   lanceolate   with  a 
broad  base,  spreading  and  curving  upward,  thick,  entire,  acute, 
excurrent  in  five  rows  on  the  branchlets ;  peduncles  short  (less 
than  5"),  very  slender,  with  a  few  subulate  bracts,  or  none,  the 
strobiles  then  sessile  upon  strong  leafy  branches;  sporophylls 
broadly  ovate,  erose,  with  long  acuminate  to  subulate  apices. 
Labrador  to  New  York,  Idaho,  Washington  to  Alaska. 

C.  Leaves  in  four  rows  on  flattened  dor  si-ventral  stems. 
i .  Branches  convex  on  both  sides  ;  leaves  all  alike. 

14.  L.  sabinsefolium  Willd.    Prostrate  stems  creeping  along 
the  surface,  with   numerous  aerial  stems  which  soon  branch 
3 — 4  or  5  times  to  form  a  loose  clump  of  erect  (or  straggling) 
dorsiventral    branches;    leaves    subulate,    slightly    spreading, 
curved  upwards,  with  thin  apices,  in  four  rows  on  the  flattened 
terminal  and  subterminal  branchlets,  those  of  the  lateral  rows 
thicker  and  more  curved  than  those  of  the  upper  and  lower 
rows  ;    peduncles   (5" — 2'  long),  on    stronger   terete    branches, 
their  subulate  bracts  whorled  or  scattered  ;  strobiles  i'  long, 
with  broadly  ovate  sporophylls  with  short  acute  apices  ;  spo- 
rangia reniform.     Northern  New  England,  Ontario,  and  Prince 
Edward's  Island. 

2.  Branches  with  imder  surf  ace  flat  or  concave. 

15.  L.  complanatum    L.     Rhizomes   extensively  creeping 
along  the  surface,  the   branches   spreading   out   horizontally, 
forming  fan-shaped  tufts ;  leaves  in  four   rows,  those   of  the 
upper    and    lateral    rows,   cuspidate,  'with    spreading   apices, 


136     OUR   NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

bright  green,  those  of  the  under  row  reduced  to  spreading 
cuspidate  apices;  peduncles  usually  forking  twice,  the  sec- 
ond forking  i" — 2"  from  the  first ;  strobiles  7" — 12"  long;  spores 
ripening  late  in  August  or  in  September.  Canada  to  Maryland 
and  northwestward  to  Washington  and  Alaska. 

16.  L.  chamsecyparissus    A.     Br.       Rhizomes    creeping 
below  the  surface;  primary  shoots  weak,  often  becoming  de- 
cumbent, the  axis  repeatedly  forking,  regularly  producing  in- 
novations the  second  season  ;  leaves  in   four   rows,   all  much 
alike,  those   of  the  lateral  rows  somewhat  incurved  beneath, 
glaucous  green  ;  peduncles  usually   twice    forked,   the  second 
forking  4" — 9'  from  the  first,  spreading  and  curving  upward  ; 
strobiles  2,  3,  or  usually  4,  10" — 14"  long;  spores  ripening  early 
in  August.     Maine  to  Georgia,  Minnesota. 

17.  L.  alpinum   L.     Prostrate  stems  8' — 20',  on  or  near  the 
surface;  aerial  stems  numerous  and  branching  several  times  to 
form   dense  clumps  2' — 3'  of  markedly  dorsiventral  branches 
with    glaucous    foliage;    occasional    strobile-bearing   branches 
(peduncles)   thicker,  terete,  and  usually  projecting  above  the 
general  mass;  leaves  of  the  peduncles  subulate,  those  of  the 
purely  vegetative  branches  trimorphic,  those  of  the  upper  row 
narrowly  ovate,  acute,  those  of  the  lateral  rows  thick,  with  one 
nerve  asymmetrically  placed,  truncate,  acute,  falcate,    curved 
toward  the  under  side,  those  of  the  under  row  trowel-shaped; 
strobiles  sessile,  5"  — 10''  long,  with  ovate  acute  sporophylls  ; 
sporangia  reniform.     British  Columbia,  Alaska,  Greenland. 

XL    PSILOTUM    R.  Br. 

Perennial  plants,  terrestrial  or  growing  on  trees.  Stems 
dichotomously  branched  with  minute  alternate  leaves,  or  ap- 
parently leafless.  Sporangia  sessile,  3-celled,  opening  at  the 
apex  into  2-3  valves.  Spores  farinaceous,  oval,  or  elongate- 
reniform.  Name  from  Gr.  ^/Ao?,  naked,  alluding  to  the 
abortive  leaves.  Contains  four  species,  mostly  tropical. 

i.  P.  nudum  (L.)  Griseb.  Stems  erect,  8'— 10'  high,  tri- 
quetrous at  base,  many  times  forked  at  apex;  ultimate  di- 
visions triquetrous-winged ;  leaves  remote,  awl-shaped,  less 
than  i"long;  sporangia  in  spikes.  (P.  Florldianum  Michx., 
P.  triquetrwn  Swz.,  Lycopodium  nudum  L.)  South  Florida; 
Bluffton,  South  Carolina  (Mellichamp). 


SELAGINELLACE&.  137 


Family  2.    SELAGINELLACE/E. 

Plant-body  leafy,  terrestrial,  moss-like,  with  branching  stems 
and  minute  scale-like  leaves.  Sporangia  one-celled,  solitary, 
axillary,  some  containing  microspores,  and  others  macrospores. 
Contains  a  single  genus  largely  tropical. 

I.     SELAGINELLA  Beauv. 

Fructification  arranged  in  spikes.  Sporangia  minute,  sub- 
globose,  opening  transversely;  some  containing  usually  4  glo- 
bose macrospores,  and  others  smaller,  filled  with  numerous 
microspores.  Leaves  4 — many  ranked.  Name  a  diminutive  of 
Selago,  an  ancient  name  of  some  species  of  Lycopodium,  which 
this  genus  resembles.  Contains  about  335  species  widely  dis- 
tributed ;  seven  are  found  within  our  limits. 

§  i.  EUSELAGINELLA.  Stem  leaves  of  one  kind,  many- 
ranked ;  bracts  uniform. 

*  Stems  spreading  or  creeping. 

f  Stems  \' — 4'  long. 
\  Stems  rooting  at  base  only. 

1.  S.   selaginoides    (L.)    Link.      Sterile   stems   prostrate- 
creeping,  small  and  slender;    fertile  stems  thicker,  ascending) 
simple,  i' — 3'  high;  leaves  lanceolate,  acute,  spreading,  sparsely 
spinulose  ciliate ;    bracts   lax,    ascending,    lanceolate   or  ovate- 
lanceolate,    strongly   ciliate.     (S.   spinosa    Beauv.,   Lycopodium 
selaginoides  L.,  L.  ciliatum  Lam.)     New  Hampshire  to  Colorado 
and  northward  to  Greenland. 

I  Stems  sending  out  roots  their  entire  length. 
||  Leaves  ending  in  a  conspicuous  white  awn. 

2.  S.  rupestris  (L.)  Spring.     Stems  creeping,   2' — 4'  long, 
more  or  less  flexuous,  the  apices  ascending,  subsecund,  abun- 
dantly emitting  roots  throughout  their  entire  length  ;   primary 
branches  mostly  short  with  3 — 6  shorter  secondary  ones  ;  leaves 
closely   imbricate,  about   8-ranked,   spreading   at   the   apex   of 
sterile  stems,  narrowly  lanceolate,  one  sixth  of  a  line  wide,  deeply 
channeled   dorsal ly,    ending    in  a  subflexuous   s'pinulose  white 
awn  nearly  ^"  long ;  margins  each  with  6 — 9  slender  cilia  ;  spikes 


138     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

sharply  quadrangular,  5" — 8"  long,  about  £"  in  dian.e  .er  ;  bracts 
similar  in  texture  to  the  leaves  but  broader  at  the  base,  with  a 
shorter  and  stouter  terminal  awn  and  usually  with  more  cilia 
on  the  margin.  New  England  and  Ontario,  southward  to  Ala- 
bama and  westward  to  California  and  British  Columbia. 

Var.  Fendleri  Underw.  Differs  from  the  Eastern  forms  of 
the  species  in  its  lax,  less  crowded  leaves,  which  are  tipped  with 
a  shorter  white  awn  and  their  margins  with  short  denticulate 
cilia ;  the  spikes  are  flabby  and  flexuous  and  the  macrospores 
are  more  coarsely  areolate.  Colorado  and  New  Mexico. 

3.  S.  densa    Rydberg.     Densely   tufted ;    sterile   branches 
very  short,   crowded,  and  generally  incurved;    leaves  densely 
crowded,  many-ranked,  i£" — 2i"  long,  linear  or  needle-shaped 
in  age,  slightly  flattened  and  grooved  dorsally,  the  margin  cili- 
ate,  tipped  with  a  white  bristle  nearly  i"  long;  fertile  branches 
erect,   \' — f '  long ;    bracts    imbricated,    thick,    triangular-ovate, 
deeply  grooved  dorsally,  ciliate  on  the  margin  and  tipped  with 
a  white  bristle  half  as  long   as  that  of  the  leaves.     Western 
Nebraska  to  Montana  and  southward  in  the  mountains. 

4.  S.  bryoides  (Nutt.)  Underw.     Stems  very  slender,  pros- 
trate, rooting  the  entire  length,  with  short  lateral  branches, 
ultimately  forming  a  dense  tuft ;    leaves  appressed,  rigid,  cin- 
ereous, slightly  grooved,  with  6 — 8  minute  divergent  or  erect 
spines  on  either  side;   spike  short,  twice  the  diameter  of  the 
stem,  with  broadly  ovate,  acute  scales ;  macrospores  pale  lemon- 
colored,  the  lower  portions  with  reticulate  rope-like  ridges,  the 
upper  surfaces  papillose  ;  microspores  usually  on  distinct  spikes, 
dark  orange,  with  prominent  spinules.     (S.  cinerascens  A.  A. 
Eaton,  Lycopodium  bryoides  Nutt.)     Southern  California. 

|  I  Leaves  blunt  or  ending  in  a  minute  green  point. 

5.  S.  Watsoni  Underw.     Stems  short,  ii'— 2i'  long,  creep- 
ing, sparingly  short-branched,   rooting   throughout  the  entire 
length  ;  leaves  rather  short,  stout,  deeply  channeled   dorsally, 
ending  abruptly  in  a  short,  stout,  smooth,  mostly  curved  green 
awn,  0.25 — 0.35  mm.  long;  margins  with  few  cilia  or  none,  when 
present  not  exceeding  0.07   mm.  in   length;  spikes^' — i' long> 
sharply  quadrangular,  the   bracts  broader  at  base,  lanceolate- 
ovate  to  ovate,  with  shorter  and  stouter  awns.    High  mountains 
of  Utah,  Nevada,  and  California. 


SELAGINELLACEM.  139 

6.  S.  mutica   D.  C.  Eaton.     Stems  creeping,  rather  rigid, 
3' — 6'    long,   divided    and    pinnately  branched ;    leaves    glau- 
cescent,  six-ranked,  closely  imbricated,  half  a  line  long,  oblong- 
ovate,    convex,    and    slightly   grooved    on    the    back,    obtuse, 
and  without  a  terminal  seta,  the  margins  ciliated  with   10 — 15 
spreading  cilia  on  each  side,  which  are  0.12  mm.  long  or  longer; 
spikes  scarcely  thicker  than   the  branches,  quadrangular,  the 
bracts  broader  than  the  leaves  and  pointed  or  even  obscurely 
mucronate.     Colorado,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona. 

T  t  Stems  spreading,  8' — 12'  long,  rooting  only  at  the  base. 

7.  S.  tortipila   A.   Br.     Stems  8' — 12'  long,   more  or  less 
flexuous,  with  the  elongate  primary  branches  compound,  root- 
ing only  near  the  base ;    leaves  loosely  imbricate,  about  six- 
ranked,  narrowly  lanceolate,  scarcely  channeled  dorsally,  ending 
in  a  contorted  or  irregularly  coiled  elongate  hair-point ;  margins 
with  6 — 12  very  short   cilia  on  either  side;  spikes  very  short 
(2" — 2^"),  borne  at  the  ends  of  ordinary  branches,    subquad- 
rangular,  but  with  loosely  spreading  broadly  ovate-lanceolate 
bracts,  which  are  dorsally  channeled  and  bear  marginal  cilia 
and  terminal  hairs  similar  to  those  of  the  stem-leaves.     Broad 
River,  North  Carolina  (Kugel),  Caesar's  Head,  South  Carolina 
(/.  D.  Smith). 

*  *  Stems  pendent,  flaccid. 

8.  S.   struthloloides   (Presl.)   Underw.     i° — 6°  long,  pin- 
nately much   branched;  leaves   loosely   imbricate,   scarcely    i" 
long,  linear-lanceolate,  convex  and  grooved  on  the  back,  acute, 
sparsely  spinulose-denticulate,  not  bristle-tipped  ;  spikes  quad- 
rangular,  very   slender ;    macrosporangia  scarce.     (S.   Oregana 
D.  C.  Eaton,  Lycopodium  Presl.)     Port  Orford,  Oregon  (Kautz) ; 
Tilamook  Valley,  Oregon  (Howell) ;  probably  in  Northern  Cali- 
fornia. 

*  *  Stems  erect  or  ascending. 
t  Spikes  £' — -i^'  long  ;  plant  rooting  in  sand. 

9.  S.  arenicola    Underw.     Deeply    rooting   in   sand   with 
fine  copious  roots,  often  6' — 8'  long;  stems  slender,  branching, 
erect   or  ascending,   densely   caespitose,    2' — 3'   high,   emitting 
copious   brown   wiry   roots   a  little   distance  above  the  base ; 
leaves  closely  appressed,  narrowly  lanceolate,  0.25  mm.  wide, 


14°    OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

deeply  channeled  dorsally,  terminated  by  a  spinulose  white 
awn  0.35 — 0.50  mm.  long;  margins  with  numerous  short  cilia; 
spikes  2 — 3  cm.  long,  slender,  sharply  quadrangular,  the  bracts 
broadly  lanceolate,  spreading  at  maturity  with  copious  mar- 
ginal cilia  (15 — 20  on  either  side)  ;  microspores  very  abundant 
throughout  the  length  of  the  spike,  globose-tetrahedral,  0.036 — 
0.039  mrn.  in  diameter,  bright  yellow  or  pale  orange.  (S.  are- 
naria  Underw.,  not  Baker.)  In  sand,  Florida,  Texas  ? 
f  f  Spikes  ^'  or  less  long  ;  plants  grooving  on  rocks. 

10.  S.  rupincola    Underw.      Stems    suberect,    somewhat 
flexuous,  3' — 5'  high,  rooting  only  from  near  the  base,  pinnately 
branching,  the  secondary  branches  mostly  very  short ;  leaves 
channeled  dorsally,  closely  imbricate,  spreading  only  near  the 
growing  tips  of  the  stem,  glaucous  or  cinereous  green,  tapering 
toward  the  apex  and  ending  in  a  long  white  denticulate  spine 
I  mm.  or  more  long;  margins  strikingly  long-ciliate,  15 — 20  on 
either   side ;    spikes   %   or*  less    long,   borne    laterally   on   the 
branches,  scarcely  quadrangular,  the  bracts  closely  resembling 
the  ordinary  stem-leaves,  so  as  to  render  the  spikes  scarcely 
distinguishable  except  for  the  axillary  sporangia;  macrospores 
dark -yellow,  0.24—0.27  mm.  in  diameter,  strongly  and  deeply 
pitted  reticulate.     New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 

11.  S.    Bigelovii     Underw.      Stems    slender,    4' — 8'    long, 
mostly  ascending,  flexuous,  usually  with  short  ascending  pri- 
mary branches  ;  secondary  branches  infrequent  and  mostly  very 
short ;   stems   rooting  only   near  the  base ;   leaves  about   six- 
ranked,    appressed-imbricate,    usually   with   a    distinct    dorsal 
channel,  narrowly  lanceolate,  tapering  gradually  into  a  densely 
spinulose  white  awn  often  0.7  mm.  long;  margins  with  12 — 15 
cilia  on  either  side,  which  are  directed  forward  and  usually  less 
than  0.050  mm.  long;  spikes  obtusely  quadrangular,  mostly  on 
short  lateral  branches   5   mm.  or  less  long,   the  bracts  short, 
broadly  ovate  but  otherwise  like  the  leaves.     Southern  Cali- 
fornia. 

I  2.  STACHYGYNANDRUM  Baker.  Stem  /eaves  of  two  kinds, 
spreading  in  two  planes,  those  of  the  upper  plane  smaller  and 
more  ascending  ;  bracts  uniform. 

*  Main  stems  dectimbent ;  root  fibres  extending  to  upper  nodes. 
t  Stems  persistent ;  leaves  rigid,  firm  in  texture. 


SELA  GIN  ELL  A  CEJE.  1 4 1 

12.  S.  Douglasii   (H.  &  G.)  Spring.      Stems   3' — 12'  long, 
branches  2' — 6'  long,  bi — tripinnately  divided  ;  leaves  of  lower 
plane  i"  long,  obliquely  oval,  obtuse,  faintly  nerved;  leaves  of 
upper  plane  half  as   long,  oval,   incurved,  ending   in    a   short 
point,  both  sparingly  ciliate  at  base;  spikes  6" — 12"  long,  quad- 
rangular,  terminal ;  bracts    deltoid-cuspidate,    strongly    imbri- 
cate.    (Lycopodtum  Douglasii  H.  &  G.,  L.  ovalifolium  H.  &  G.) 
Northern  California  to  British  Columbia. 

ft  Stems  mostly  annual,  fugacious  ;  leaves  mostly  membranous, 
flaccid. 

13.  S.  apus(L.)  Spring.    Stems  i' — 4' long,  slender,  angled  on 
the  face,  prostrate,  creeping,  much-branched,  flaccid  ;  leaves  of 
the  lower  plane  spreading  above,  the  lower  reflexed,  ovate,  acute, 
serrulate,  not  distinctly  ciliate  ;  leaves  of  the  upper  plane  ovate, 
shortly    cuspidate;    spikes    3" — 6"  long;    bracts    ovate,  acute, 
membranous,  strongly  serrulate,  acutely  keeled   in  the  upper 
half.     Canada   and    New    England   to    Rocky    Mountains,  and 
southward  to  Florida  and  Texas. 

14.  S.,  Ludoviciana   A.  Br.     Stems  slender,  copiously  pin- 
nate, flat  both  sides,  4' — 6'  long,  lower  branches  slightly  com- 
pound ;  leaves  of  lower  plane  rather  distant  except  at  tips  of 
branches,  spreading,  ovate-oblong,  sub-acute,  firmer  in  texture 
than  in  preceding,  serrulate,  not  distinctly  ciliate ;    leaves  of 
upper  plane  half  as  long,  obliquely  oblong,  cuspidate ;  spikes 
3'' — 6"   long ;    bracts    ovate-lanceolate,    strongly    keeled.      (S. 
apus,  var.  denticulata  Spring,  where   it  may  belong,  the  differ- 
ences possibly  due  to  climatic  conditions.)     Covington,  Louisi- 
ana  (Drummottd)\    Aspalaga,    Florida   (Curtiss,    No.   3799    in 
part). 

**  Stems  densely  tufted,  rolling  into  a  nest-like  ball  when  dry  ; 
roots  confined  to  base  of  stems. 

15.  S.  lepidophylla  Spring.  Stems  2' — 4'  long,  densely 
tufted,  pinnately  branched  to  the  base,  the  pinnae  ascending, 
sub-flabellately  compound ;  leaves  of  the  lower  plane  closely 
imbricate,  ascending,  obliquely  ovate,  obtuse,*thick,  rigid,  mi- 
nutely ciliate,  green  above,  paler  below,  becoming  reddish-brown 
in  age ;  leaves  of  upper  plane  nearly  as  long,  obliquely  ovate, 
obtuse;  spikes  3" — 6''  long,  quadrangular;  bracts  deltoid, 
acutely  keeled.  Texas  to  Arizona. 


142     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

16.  S.  Pringlei  Baker.  Outer  stems  3' — 4'  long,  the- inner 
gradually  shorter,  flabellately  branched,  light  green  above,  pale 
below  ;  branchlets  close,  i" — 2"  wide  ;  leaves  of  the  lower  plane 
crowded,  oblong,  about  i'  long,  including  the  conspicuous  horny 
white  awn  ;  leaves  of  upper  plane  slightly  smaller,  somewhat 
oblique;  spikes  short  with  uniform  bracts.  Chenate  Moun- 
tains, Texas  (Nealley). 

S.  pi  1  if  era  A.  Br.  is  reported  by  Mr.  Baker  from  Texas,  but 
it  has  not  been  found  there  recently. 

Family  3.    ISOETACE/E. 

Plant-body  consisting  of  a  bilobed  or  trilobed  trunk  emitting 
dense  tufts  of  roots,  and  sending  up  a  compact  rosette  of  rush- 
like  leaves,  submerged,  amphibious  or  sometimes  growing  in 
moist  soil.  Sporangia  sessile  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  some 
containing  macrospores  and  others  microspores.  Contains  a 
single  genus  widely  distributed. 

I.    ISOETES  L.     QUILLWORT. 

Stem  or  trunk  a  more  or  less  depressed,  fleshy  corm,  rooting 
just  above  its  bilobed  or  trilobed  base,  covered  above  with  the 
dilated  and  imbricated  bases  of  the  awl-shaped  or  linear  leaves. 
Sporangia  large,  orbicular  or  ovoid,  plano-convex,  very  thin, 
sessile  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  and  united  at  the  back  with 
their  excavated  bases  ;  those  of  the  outer  leaves  filled  with 
spherical  macrospores ;  those  of  the  inner  leaves  filled  with 
minute  and  powdery,  grayish,  obliquely  oblong  and  triangular 
microspores.  Name  from  Gr.  zero?,  equal,  and  eroS,  year.  Con- 
tains about  50  species,  of  which  sixteen  are  found  within  our 
limits. 

NOTE. — The  measurements  of  the  spores  are  given  in  millimetres;  mm.  =  .03937 
inch. 

§  I .  Submerged,  rarely  above  water  in  driest  seasons ;  leaves 
quadrangular  wit 'hout  peripheral  bast-bundles ;  velum  incom- 
plete. 

*  Stomata  absent. 

i.  I.  lacustris  L.  Leaves  10 — 25,  stout,  rather  rigid,  ob- 
tusely quadrangular,  acute  but  scarcely  tapering,  dark  or  olive- 


ISOETACE&.  143 

green,  2' — 6'  long;  sporangia  orbicular — broadly-elliptic,  with  a 
narrow  velum  ;  ligula  triangular,  short  or  somewhat  elongate  ; 
macrospores  0.50 — 0.80  mm.  in  diameter,  marked  all  over  with 
distinct  or  somewhat  confluent  crests;  microspores  smooth, 
0.035 — 0.046  mm.  long.  Var.  paupercula  Engelm.  has  fewer, 
thinner  and  shorter  leaves  and  smaller  spores,  the  microspores 
somewhat  granulate,  0.026 — 0.036  mm.  long.  (/.  macrospora 
Durieu.)  Catskill  Mountains,  New  York  (Schweinitz),  Echo 
Lake,  New  Hampshire  ( Tuckermaii) ,  Fresh  Pond,  near  Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts  (W.  Boott),  Uxbridge,  Massachusetts 
(Robbins),  Brattleborough,  Vermont  (Frost},  Lake  Superior 
(Porter).  The  variety  from  Grand  Lake,  Middle  Park,  Colo- 
rado (Engelmantt)  and  Castle  Lake  near  Mt.  Shasta,  California 
(Pr  ingle). 

2.  I.  pygmsea  Engelm.     Leaves  5 — 10,  stout,  rigid,  bright- 
green,  £' — i'  long,  abruptly  tapering  to  a  fine  point,  with  very 
short  often  almost  square  epidermal  cells;  sporangia  orbicular 
with    a    narrow    velum;    macrospores    0.36 — 0.50    mm.    thick, 
marked  with  minute,  rather  regular,  distinct  or  rarely  confluent 
warts;    microspores  brown,  almost  smooth,  0.024 — 0.029  mm. 
long.     Mono  Pass,  California  (Bolander). 

3.  1.  Tuckermani  A.   Br.      Leaves    10—30,    very    slender, 
tapering,  olive-green,  2' — 3'  long,  the  outer  recurved ;  sporangia 
mostly  oblong,  white  or  rarely  brown-spotted,  the  upper  third 
covered  by  the  velum;  macrospores  0.44 — 0.56  mm.  thick,  the 
upper  segments  marked  with  prominent,  somewhat  parallel  and 
branching  ridges,  the  lower  half  reticulate  ;  microspores  smooth 
or  nearly   so,  0.026 — 0.032  mm.   long.     Mystic   River,   Mystic, 
Spy,  and  Horn  Ponds,  near  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

*  *  Stoinala  present. 

4.  I.  Macounii  A.  A.  Eaton.     Leaves  5  — 12,   i' — 2'  long, 
stout,    acuminate,    with    occasional   stomata    near  the    apices, 
reddish  green;  basal  wings  wide;  ligula  triangular-lanceolate; 
sporangia  orbicular,   i"— if"  in  diameter,  one-fourth  to  three- 
fourths  covered  by  the  velum,    thickly  pale-spotted ;    macro- 
spores  0.3 — 0.57  mm.,  sparsely  covered  with  very  stout,  short, 
blunt,  or  confluent  spinules,  which  become  small  papillae  near 
the  equator  and  on  the  upper  half  appear  on  the  commissures  ; 
microspores  elliptical,  0.035  by  0.027  mm.,  or  sometimes  slightly 


144     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

larger,  finely  and  densely  papillose,  or  rarely  blunt  tuberculate. 
Pools  on  an  extinct  volcano,  Atka  Island,  lat.  52°  N.,  long.  175° 
W.  (Macouri). 

5.  I.  echinospora  Durieu,  var.   Braunii    (Dur.)   Engelm. 
Leaves  13 — 15,  erect  or  spreading,  tapering,  green  or  reddish- 
green,  3'— 6'  long,  generally  with  few  stomata  toward  the  tip 
only;    sporangia    orbicular — broadly-elliptic,    spotted,  i    to    f 
covered  by  the  broad  velum  ;  macrospores  0.40— 0.50  mm.  thick, 
covered  with  broad,  retuse  spinules,  sometimes  somewhat  con- 
fluent and  then   dentate  and  incised  at  the  tip ;    microspores 
0.026 — 0.030  mm.   long,  smooth.     (I.  Braunii  Durieu.)     Nova 
Scotia,   New  England,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
Ontario,  Michigan  (Gillman),  Head  of  Bear  River,  Utah  (Wat- 
son), Greenland  (VaJtl). 

Var.  robusta  Engelm.  Stouter;  leaves  25 — 70,5' — 8' long, 
with  abundant  stomata  all  over  their  surface ;  velum  covering 
one  half  of  the  large,  spotted  sporangia;  macrospores 0.36 — 0.55 
mm.  thick.  Lake  Cham  plain,  north  end  of  Isle  La  Motte  (Prin- 

gle\ 

Var.  Boottii  (A.  Br.)  Engelm.  Leaves  12 — 20,  erect,  bright  - 
green,  4' — 5'  long,  with  few  stomata  mostly  near  the  tip;  spo- 
rangia nearly  orbicular,  pale-spotted,  f  or  more  covered  by  the 
broad  velum ;  macrospores  0.39 — 0.50  mm.  thick,  with  longer, 
more  slender  and  delicate,  generally  simple  spinules;  micro- 
spores  0.026 — 0.030  mm.  long.  (/.  Boottii  A.  Br.)  Round 
Pond,  Woburn,  and  in  brook  in  Tofit  Swamp,  Lexington, 
Massachusetts  (Bootf). 

Var.  muricata  (Dur.)  Engelm.  Leaves  15 — 20,  flaccid, 
green,  6' — 12' long,  with  very  few  stomata;  sporangia  broadly 
oval,  pale-spotted,  about  half  covered  by  the  velum ;  macro- 
spores  0.40 — 0.58  mm.  thick,  with  shorter  and  more  confluent, 
sometimes  almost  crest-like  spinules;  microspores  0.028 — 0.032 
mm.  long,  slightly  rough  on  the  edges.  (/.  muricata  Durieu.) 
Woburn  Creek  and  Abajona  river  near  Boston,  Massachusetts 
(Boott). 

6.  I.  Bolanderi   Engelm.     Leaves  5 — 25,  erect,  soft,  bright- 
green,  tapering  to  a  fine  point,  2'— 4^'  long,  with  thin  walls  and 
generally  few  stomata ;  sporangia  broadly  oblong,  mostly  un- 
spotted, with  a  narrow  velum  ;   ligula  triangular ;  macrospores 


ISOETACE&.  !45 

0.30—0.45  mm.  thick,  marked  with  minute  low  tubercles,  rarely 
confluent  into  wrinkles  ;  microspores  deep-brown,  0.026 — 0.031 
mm.  long,  spinulose,  rarely  smooth.  (/.  Californica  Engelm.) 
Western  Colorado  (Brandegee),  Utah,  California,  to  Washing- 
ton. 

§  2.  Amphibious,  partially  emerged  ;  stomata  always  present. 

*  Peripheral  bast-bundles  absent. 

t  Velutn  partial. 

7.  I.  saccharata  Engelm.     Trunk  usually  flat,  depressed  ; 
leaves   10 — 20,  awl-shaped,    spreading,   olive-green,  2' — 3' long; 
sporangia  oblong,  spotted,  with  a  narrow  velum  ;  ligula  trian- 
gular ;    macrospores   0.40 — 0.47   mm.  thick,  covered  with  very 
minute,  distinct  warts,  which  are  sometimes  a  little  confluent ; 
microspores     papillose,     0.024 — 0028     mm.     long.      Banks   of 
Wicomico  river,  below  Salisbury,  and  of  Nanticoke  river,  East- 
ern Maryland  (Candy). 

8.  I.  riparia  Engelm.     Leaves  15 — 30,  slender,  rather  rigid, 
deep-green,  4' — 8'   long,  with    numerous    stomata ;    sporangia 
mostly  oblong,  distinctly  brown-spotted,  \  or  £  covered  by  the 
velum  ;  macrospores  o.45--o.65  mm.  thick,  marked  with  isolated 
.or  anastomosing,  jagged  crests;  microspores  more  or  less  tuber- 
culate,  0.028 — 0.032  mm.  long.     Banks  of  Delaware  River  from 
Burlington  to  Wilmington,  Delaware  ;  Uxbridge,  Massachusetts 
(Robbins);  Brattleborough,  Vermont  (Frosf) ;  Maine  (CfoV&?r/«£-)  ; 
Crow  River,  Hastings  County,  Ontario  (Macouii). 

ft  Velum  complete. 

9-  I.  melanospora  Engelm.  Trunk  flat,  only  slightly 
bilobed  ;  leaves  5 — 10,  distichous,  slender,  tapering,  light-green, 
2' — 1\'  long;  sporangia  orbicular  or  almost  obcordate,  $" — -T' 
long,  entirely  covered  by  the  velum;  ligula  short  triangular, 
obtuse  ;  macrospores  0.35 — 0.45  mm.  long,  roughened  with 
distinct  or  rarely  somewhat  confluent  warts,  dark-colored ; 
microspores  smoothish  or  slightly  papillose,  0.028 — 0.031  mm. 
long.  In  shallow  excavations  in  granite  rock,  Stone  Mountain, 
Georgia  (Canty). 

**  Peripheral  bast-bundles  present. 
t  Vehim  partial  or  entirely  wanting. 
10.     I.  foveolata  A.  A.  Eaton.     Amphibious  from  a  bilobed 


146     OUR  NATIVE  FERNS  AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

or  rarely  trilobed  base  ;  leaves  1 5—70,  stout,  2' — 6'  long,  pinkish 
even  when  dry  or  rarely  dark  green ;  stomata  scattered  found 
only  near  the  tips ;  no  peripheral  bast-bundles ;  monoecious  or 
becoming  dioecious;  velum  covering  one-fourth  or  one-third  of 
the  sporange ;  ligule  round-ovate ;  sporanges  thickly  sprinkled 
with  dark  cells  which  are  often  collected  in  groups;  macro- 
spores  0.380 — 0.560  mm.  in  diameter,  covered  beneath  with  very 
thick-walled  reticulations,  the  openings  appearing  like  little 
pits ;  reticulations  elongate  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  spore ; 
microspores  dark  brown,  0.022 — 0.035  mm.  long,  densely  reticu- 
late and  usually  slightly  papillose.  In  muddy  banks  of  the 
Pautuckaway  River,  Epping,  and  East  Kingston,  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

11.  I.    Eatoni    Dodge.      Amphibious   from    a   large   trunk 
i' — 4'  in  diameter.     Leaves  of  the  submerged  plant  20 — 200, 
varying  in  length  up  to  28',  marked  with  an  elevated  ridge  on 
the  ventral  side ;  leaves  of  the  emersed  plant  shorter,  3' — 6' 
long,  stomata  abundant;   peripheral  bast-bundles  irregular  in 
occurrence  or  often  wanting;  velum  covering  one-fourth  of  the 
sporange ;   polygamous ;   sporanges  large,    10  by  4  mm.,  pale, 
spotted ;  macrospores  small,  0.3 — 0.4  mm.  in  diameter,  marked 
with  convolute  labyrinthine  ridges  and  cristate  on  the  angles  of 
the   inner   face;    microspores    0.025 — 0030   mm.    in    diameter, 
smooth  or  slightly  papillose.     In  mud  flats,  East  Kingston  and 
Epping,  New  Hampshire. 

12.  I.    Dodgel    A.   A.   Eaton.     Plant   amphibious   from   a 
2-lobed  trunk.     Leaves  10 — 75,  8' — 18'  long,  when  submersed, 
erect  or  spirally  ascending  when  scattered  ;  emersed  leaves  4'— 
6'  long,  tortuous  and  often  interlaced,  with  numerous  stomata 
and  usually  four  bast-bundles ;  velum  narrow,  covering  from 
one-fifth   to   one-fourth    of   the    sporange ;    sporanges    thickly 
sprinkled  with  dark  brown  cells ;  macrospores  more  numerous 
on    submersed    plants,    globose   0.5—0.675   mm.    in   diameter, 
sparsely  covered  with  irregular  crests  which  at  maturity  sepa- 
rate into  irregular  groups  leaving  bare  spaces,  serrate  or  spinu- 
lose  at  the  top ;  microspores  more  numerous  on  emersed  plants, 
0.022 — 0.040  mm.  in  diameter,  ashy,  papillose.     In   mud  flats, 
East  Kingston,  New  Hampshire;  Pennsylvania. 

13.  I.    Engelmannl  A.   Br.     Leaves  25—100,  light-green, 


ISOETACE^S.  147 

9' — 20' or  more  long,  with  abundant  stomata ;  sporangia  ob- 
long— linear-oblong,  unspotted,  with  a  narrow  velum  ;  ligula 
elongate  from  a  triangular  base;  macrospores  0.40 — 0.52  mm. 
thick,  delicately  honeycomb-reticulated;  microspores  usually 
smooth,  0.024 — 0.028  mm.  long.  Var.  Georgiana  Engelm.  has 
fewer  leaves  and  larger  (0.48 — 0.56  mm.  thick)  macrospores. 
New  England  and  New  York,  Missouri  and  Illinois ;  the  vari- 
ety in  Horseleg  Creek,  Floyd  County,  Georgia  (Canby). 

Var.  gracilis  Engelm.  Leaves  8 — 12,  often  submerged, 
9' — 12'  long,  the  bast  bundles  often  quite  small  or  only  two 
present.  New  England  ;  Passaic  River,  New  Jersey  (Ennis). 

Var.  valida  Engelm.  Leaves  50 — 200,  keeled  on  the  upper 
side,  18'— 25'  long;  sporangia  often  linear-oblong  4" — 9"  long, 
%  to  f  covered  by  the  broad  velum  ;  macrospores  0.32 — 0.48  mm. 
thick  ;  microspores  spinulose,  0.024—0.027  mm.  long.  Warrior's 
Mark  and  Smithville,  Pennsylvania  (Porter);  Wilmington, 
Delaware  (Canby). 

14.  I.  Howellii  Engelm.  Leaves  6—30  or  even  50,  2'— 8' 
long,  with  numerous  stomata  and  four  bast  bundles ;  velum 
variable,  usually  narrow  in  outer  leaves,  narrowly  oblong  on 
inner  leaves,  usually  densely  spotted,  and  shining  dark  brown 
or  black  ;  sheath  fuscous  brown,  deeply  grooved  ;  ligula  vary 
from  short  triangular  to  2"  long;  macrospores  0.48  mm.  in  diam- 
eter, covered  rather  sparingly  with  low  blunt  isolated  or  conflu- 
ent crests;  microspores 0.02 — 0.03  mm.  in  diameter,  light-brown, 
covered  with  low  blunt  tubercles  or  spines.  (/.  nuda  Engelm., 
/.  Und£rii.<oodti  Henderson.)  Dalles  of  the  Columbia,  Oregon 
(H owe  II)  to  western  Idaho  (Henderson). 

ft  Velum  complete. 

15.  I.  flaccida  Shuttleworth.  Leaves  10 — 35,  light-green, 
15' — 2°  long,  submerged,  floating  on  the  surface  or  wholly 
emerged ;  sporangia  oval,  2" — 3"  long,  entirely  covered  by  the 
velum ;  macrospores  0.30 — 0.42  mm.  thick,  covered  with  many 
or  rarely  few,  large  flattish  tubercles,  distinct  or  confluent  into 
labyrinth  if  orm  wrinkles.  Var.  rigida  Engelm.  is  smaller,  with 
more  slender,  erect,  dark-green  leaves,  5' — 6'  long.  Lake  Im- 
monia,  near  Tallahassee,  Florida  (Rugel);  also  near  Manatee, 
Florida  (Garber).  The  variety  at  Lake  Flirt,  Florida  (Garber). 


148     OUR   NATIVE   FERNS  AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

Var.  Chapmani  Engelm.  Leaves  about  30,  floating,  18' 
long;  sporangia  orbicular;  macrospores  0.44 — 0.55  mm.  thick, 
almost  smooth  on  the  upper  side;  microspores  slightly  papil- 
lose, 0.027 — 0.030  mm.  long.  Near  Mariana,  Florida  (Chap- 
man). 

§  3.  Terrestrial ;  leaves  nearly  triangular,  with  abundant 
stomata  and  peripheral  bast-bundles,  thick  dissepiments  and 
small  air-cavities. 

*  Trunk  bilobed  ;  velum  partial  or  almost  wanting. 

16.  i.  melanopoda  J.  Gay.     Polygamous;  trunk  sub-glo- 
bose, deeply  bilobed  ;  leaves   1 5 — 60,  slender,  stiff,  erect,  bright- 
green,  usually  black  at  base,  5' — 10'  or  more  long ;  sporangia 
mostly  oblong,   2" — 5"   long,   spotted,   with    a    narrow  velum ; 
ligula     triangular-awl-shaped ;    macrospores     0.25 — 040     mm. 
thick,  with  depressed  tubercles  often  confluent  into  worm-like 
wrinkles,  or  almost  smooth  ;  microspores  spinulose,  0.023 — 0.028 
mm.  long.     Var.  pallida  Engelm.  is  larger,  with  pale  leaf-bases 
and  broader  velum.     Ringwood  and  Athens,    Illinois    (Hall} ; 
Clinton,  Iowa  (Vasey)  ;  Limestone  Gap,  Indian  Territory  (But- 
ler).    The  variety  at  Houston,  Texas  (Hall). 

17.  I.   maritima  Unde.     Monoecious;    trunk   small,    only 
slightly  bilobed;  leaves  8—15,  rigid,  green,  i' — 2'  long,  £" — f" 
wide;  sporangia  oval,  2"  long,  ij"  wide,  brownish  white,  one 
third  to  one  half  covered  by  the  velum  ;  ligula  small;  macro- 
spores  0.42 — 0.48  mm.  thick,  densely  spinulose,  the  spines  blunt, 
rarely  confluent;    microspores   smooth,  white,   0.32 — 0.35  mm. 
thick.     In  salt  marsh,  Alberni,  Vancouver  Island  (Macoun). 

1 8.  I.   Butleri    Engelm.     Dioecious;     trunk     sub-globose; 
leaves  8 — 12,  rigid,  bright-green,  3'— -7'  long;  sporangia  usually 
oblong,  spotted,  with  a  very  narrow  velum  or  none  ;  ligula  awl- 
shaped  from   a  triangular   base;    macrospores  0.50 — 0.63  mm. 
thick,  marked  with  knobs  or  warts,  distinct  or  sometimes  con- 
fluent; microspores    papillose,    dark-brown,  0.028 — 0.038    mm. 
long.     Var.    immaculata    Engelm.    is    larger,    with    unspotted 
sporangia,  and  spinulose  microspores,  the  macrospores  0.40 — 
0.56  mm.     In  saline  flats,  near  Limestone  Gap,  Indian  Territory 


ISOETACE^E.  149 

**  Trunk  tr Holed ;  velum  nearly  or  quite  complete. 

19.  I.  Nuttallii    A.    Br.      Trunk   almost   globose,    slightly 
grooved  ;  leaves  20 — 60,  slender,  bright-green,  3' — 9'  long,  with 
only  three  peripheral  bast  bundles ;  sporangia  oblong  or  oval, 
entirely  covered  by  the  velum  ;  macrospores  variable,  0.25 — 0.50 
mm.  thick,  densely  covered  with  minute  but  rounded  warts,  or 
rarely  almost  smooth  ;  microspores  papillose,    brown,    0.025 — 
0.028  mm.  long.     (/.  opaca  Nutt.,  /.  Suksdorfii  Baker.)    Oregon, 
Washington  ;    western   Idaho   (Geyer},  Vancouver  Island  (Ma- 
coun) ;  California  (Brandegee). 

20.  i.  Orcutti  A.  A.  Eaton.     Trunk  slightly  trilobed,  glo- 
bose ;  leaves  6 — 15,  2' — 4'  long,  3" — 3^"  broad,  triangular,  slightly 
winged  at  base,  with  two  weak  bast  bundles  and  rarely  with 
lateral  ones ;  velum  entire ;  ligula  lunate  or  semicircular ;  ma- 
crospores very  small,  0.24 — 0.32  mm.  in  diameter  fuscous  when 
wet,  cinereous  or  glaucous  when  dry,  polished,  the  surface  finely 
pitted  as  with  pin  points  ;  microspores  dark-brown,  0.022—0.035 
mm.  long,  spinulose.     On  mesas  at  San  Diego,  California  (Or- 
cutt). 

21.  I.  minima  A.  A.  Eaton.     Trunk  trilobed,  i|"-— 2"  wide, 
i" — 1 1"  high  ;  leaves  6 — 12,  f— i|'  long,  slender,  with  four  peri- 
pheral bast  bundles;  sporangia  unspotted,  2"  long;  velum  f — f 
covering  the  sporangium  ;  macrospores  globose,  0.29—0.35  mm. 
in  diameter,  covered  with    short,    slender   blunt   spinules,   the 
equatorial  commissure  pectinate  with  polished  spinules  ;  micro- 
spores  papillose  or  sparingly  spinulose,  white,  0.026 — 0.031  mm. 
long.     In  damp  places,  Waverly,  Spokane  County,  Washington 
(Suksdorf). 


ABBREVIATIONS. 


ADANS M.  Adanson.       LINDL J.  Lindley. 

AIT W.  Alton.       LINN.  F C.  Linnaeus  (son). 

ANGS J.  Angstroem.  MART.  &  GALE... Martens  and  Galeotti. 

BEAUV P.  de  Beauvais        METT G.  Mettenius. 

BERNH J.  J.  Bernhardi.       MICHX  A.  Michaux. 

BIGEL J.  Bigelow.       MUHL G.  H.  E.  Muhlenberg. 

BRACK W.  D.  Brackenridge.       NECK  N.  J.  Necker. 

A.  BR ,..A.  Braun.       NUTT T.  Nuttall. 

R.  BR R.  Brown.       PLUM C.  Plumier. 

BONG  Bongard.       REICHENB H.  G.  L.  Reichenbach. 

BRONG A.  Brongniart.       RICH C.  L.  M.  Richard. 

CAV A.  J.  Cavanilles.       SCHLEICH Schleicher. 

CHAPM A.  W.  Chapman.       SCHREB J.  C.  D.  Schreber. 

DAV G.  E.  Davenport.       SM J.  E.  Smith. 

DC A.  P.  DeCandolle.       J.  SM  J.  Smith. 

DESF R.  L.  Desfontaines.       SPRENG K.  Sprengel. 

DESV N.  A.  Desvaux.       Swz O.  Swartz. 

EHRH F.  Ehrhart.       THUNB C.  P.  Thunberg. 

ENDL S.  L.  Endlicher      TOKR J.  Torrey. 

ENGELM G.  Engelmann.       TUCKER.M  E.  Tuckerman. 

H.  &  A Hooker  and  Arnott.       UNDE L.  M.  Underwood. 

H.  &  G Hooker  and  Greville.       VAILI S.  Vail'.ant. 

HBK..Humboldt,  Bonplandand  Kunth.       VENT E.  P.  Ventenat. 

HITCH E.  Hitchcock.       WALL N.  Wallich. 

HOFFM G.  F.  Hoffman.       WALLR F.  W.  Wallroth. 

HOOK W.  J.  Hooker.       WALT T.  Walter. 

Huns W.  Hudson.       WILLD K.  L.  Willdenow. 

Hf.MB Baron  von  Humboldt 

Juss A.  L.  Jussieu        Gr Greek. 

KAULF G.  F.  Kaulfuss.       Lat.... Latin. 

KOCH W.  D.  Koch.       cm centimetre. 

KUHL Kuhlewein.       mm millimetre. 

L C.  von  Linne  [Linnaeus].       var variety. 

LAM J.  B.  de  Lamarck.       • feet. 

L'HER C.  L.  L'Heritier.       ' inches. 

LIEBM F.  Liebmann.       " lines. 

150 


GLOSSARY   AND   INDEX. 


Acrogrenous  (Gr.  axpov,  the  high- 
est part,  and  yevvav,  to  produce),  per- 
taining to  plants  whose  growth  takes 
place  at  the  summit.  Includes  Ferns, 
Mosses,  etc. 

Acrostichum,  81;  also  5,  6,  12,  79. 

Aculeate  (Lat.  aculeus,  diminutive 
of  acus,  a  needle),  armed  with 
prickles. 

Adder-tongue.  Vide  Ophio- 
glossum. 

Adiantum,  89;  also  5, 13,  42,  80. 

Adnate  (Lat.  ad,  to,  nasci,  to  be 
born),  growing  fast  to  some  other 
portion  of  the  plant. 

Algae,  56. 

Allosorus.  I'ide  Crypto- 
gramma. 

Analogy  (Gr.  ara,  according  to; 
A.oyos,  ratio,  proportion),  similarity  in 
function;  distinguished  from  homolo- 
gj;  indicating  similarity  in  struc- 
ture. 

Anastomose  (Gr.  <u<a<rTo/uoOi>,  to 
open  into),  forming  a  network;  said 
of  veins  which  unite  with  each 
other. 

Anemia.      Vide    Ornithopte- 

ris. 

Annulus  (Lat.  a  ring),  the  ring 
partly  or  completely  surrounding  the 
sporangium. 

Antheridium  (plu.  antheridiii) 
(Lat.  anthera,  an  anther,  and  Gr. 


<t'So«,    form),  the  part  containing  the 
male  element.     20. 

Antherozoid  (Lat.  anthera,  an 
anther;  Gr.  £<aov,  an  animal,  and 
ei'Sos,  form),  the  male  element  of 
cryptograms.  20. 

Archegonium  (plu.  archegoni.i) 
(Gr.  dp\ri,  beginning,  and  yovrj,  off- 
spring), the  part  containing  the  fe- 
male element.  20. 

Arcuate  (Lat.  arcus,  a  bow), 
curved  like  a  bow. 

Areola  (plu.  areola;)  (Lat.  diminu- 
tive of  area,  an  open  place),  a  space 
enclosed  by  anastomosing  veinlets. 

Asexual  Reproduction  in 
Ferns,  27. 

Aspidium.  Vide  Dryopteris, 
and  Polystichum. 

Asplenium,  103:  also  2,  3,  5,  f,  i5) 
27,  81. 

AurJCUlate  (Lat.  auricula,  a  little 
ear),  furnished  with  ear-like  append- 
ages. 

Azolla,  125;  also  39. 


Beech-fern,     vide   Phegop- 
teris. 

Bi  (Lat.  bis,  twice),  (as   a  prefix)  two, 

twice  or  doubly. 

Bladder-fern.     Vide  Filix. 
Blechnum,  102;  also  15,81. 
Botrychium,  68;  also  2.3,  5, 19,  29, 

3°,  43- 


152 


GLOSSARY   AMD    INDEX. 


Brake      or      Bracken.      Vide 

Pteridium. 
Brvophytes  <Gr. ppvov,  moss,  and 

<f>vr6v,  plant).  57. 
Buds,  borne  on  ferns,  27. 
Bulblets,  borne  on  ferns,  27. 

C 

Calamariaceae,  63. 
Camptosorus,  108;  also  3,6, 9, 16, 

Campyloneuron,  83;  also  13,  79. 

Carboniferous  Age,  Pterido- 
phytes  of,  62. 

Carinate  (Lat.  carina,  a  keel), 
keeled. 

CaStaneOUS  (Lat.  castnnea,  a 
chestnut),  chestnut-colored. 

Caudate  (Lat.  cauda,  a  tail),  fur- 
nished with  a  slender  appendage  re- 
sembling a  tail. 

Caudex  (Lat.  a  stem),  the  upright 
rootstock  forming  the  trunk  of  a  tree- 
fern,  8. 

Cellulose  (Lat.  celluia,  a  little  cell), 
the  substance  composing  the  wall  of 
cells,  containing  the  elements  car- 
bon, hydrogen,  and  oxygen. 

CeraceOUS  (Lat.  cera,  wax),  hav- 
ing the  nature  of  wax. 

Ceratopteridaceae,  78. 

Ceratopteris,  78;  also  6, 14. 

Characeae,  51. — Literature  of,  56. 

Chartaceous  (Lat.  cAaria,  a  leaf 
of  paper),  having  the  texture  of  paper 
or  parchment. 

Cheilanthes,  91;   also  3,  6,  8,  13, 

26.  43,  80. 

Cheiroglossa,  68;  also  66. 

Chlorophyll  (Gr.  XA»/">«,  Rreen, 
and  <(>v\\ov,  leaf),  the  green  grains 
forming  the  coloring  matter  of  plants. 

Christmas-fern.  Vide  Poly- 
stichum. 

Ciliate  (Lat.  cilium,  an  eyelash), 
having  on  the  margin  a  fringe  of 
hairs  resembling  the  fringing  eye- 
lashes. 

Cinnamon-fern.  Vide  Os- 
munda. 


Circinate  (Lat.  drdnus,  a  pair  of 

compasses),  rolled   inward   from  the 

apex,  8. 
Classification  of  the   Vegetable 

Kingdom,  55. — Principle  of,  46. 
Cliff-brake.    Vide  Pelliea. 
Climbing-fern.      Vide    Lygo- 

dium. 
Cloak-fern.       Vide      Notho- 

laena. 
Club-moss.      Vide     Lycopo- 

dium. 
Confluent  (Lat.  con,  together,  and 

Jluere,  to  flow),  blended  together. 
Connate    (Lat.    con,   together,  and 

nasci,   to  be    born),  united    together 

from  the  first. 

Cordate  (Lat.  cor,  the  heart),  heart- 
shaped. 
Coriaceous  (Lat.  cerium,  a  hide), 

leathery. 
Cotton-fern.       Vide    Notho- 

laena. 

Crenate  (Lat.  crena,  a  notch),  hav- 
ing the  margin  scalloped  with  rounded 
teeth. 

Crenulate  (Lat.  crenu/a,  a  little 
notch),  scalloped  with  small  rounded 
teeth. 

Cryptogamia  (Gr.  /epuirrds,  hid- 
den, ydfios,  marriage).  flovverless 
plants;  an  obsolete  term. 

Cryptogramma,  97;  also  2, 14, 80. 

Cultivation,  Literature  of,  7. 

Cuneate  (Lat.  cuaeus.  a  wedge), 
wedge-shaped. 

Cystopteris.     Vide  Filix. 


Decurrent   (Lat.    de,   down,   and 

turrere,   to   run),  prolonged   on    the 

rachis. 
Deer-fern.    Vide   Struthiop- 

teris. 
Deltoid  (Gr.  iAra,  the  letter  D,  and 

eiSos.  form),  triangular,  like  the  Greek 

delta. 
Dennstaedtia,  122;  also  3,  5,  7,  17, 

So. 


GLOSSARY  AND    IXDEX. 


Dentate  (Lat.  dens,  a  tooth), 
toothed. 

Denticulate  (Lat.  denticulus,  di- 
minutive of  dens,  tooth),  finely 
toothed. 

Devonian  Age,  Pteridophytes  of, 
66. 

Dichotomous  (Gr.  £i\a,  asunder, 
and  re'/LLi'eir,  to  cut),  two-forked. 

Dicksonia.  Vide  Dennstaed- 
tia. 

Dimorphism,  3.— Literature  of,  7. 

Dimorphous  (Gr.  Sis,  twice,  and 
/uo>p4>7J,  shape,  form),  of  two  forms; 
said  of  ferns  whose  fertile  fronds  are 
unlike  the  sterile. 

Dioecious  (Gr.  Sis,  twice,  and  <HKOS, 
house),  bearing  the  male  and  female 
organs  on  different  plants. 

Distichous  (Gr.  Sis,  twice,  and 
OTI'XOS,  a  ro\v\  disposed  in  two  rows. 

Distribution,  Geographic,  60.— 
Geologic,  61.— Local,  4. 

Dryopteris,  no;  also  2,  5,  7,  8,  10, 
ii,  16,  26,  42,  80. 

E 

Ebeneous  (Lat.  ebenus,  ebony), 
black  like  ebony. 

Elater,  the  spirally  coiled  append- 
ages of  the  spores  of  Equisetum. 

Endospore  (Gr.  ivlov,  within,  and 
<7»ropds,  a  seed),  the  inner  wall  of  the 
spore. 

Epidermis  (Gr.  em,  upon,  and 
Sc'pfia,  the  skin),  the  external  cover- 
ing of  the  plant. 

Epiphytic      (Gr.     tn-i,     upon,     and 
<f>vTov,  a  plant),   growing    upon  an- 
other plant,  but  not  nourished  by  it. 
Equisetaceae,  126;    also  31.— Lit- 
erature of,  34. 

Equisetum,  126;  also  3i,  33. 
Exospore    (Gr.   efw,   outside,    and 
o-iropds,  a  seed),  the  external  covering 
of  the  spore. 


Falcate  (\*a\..falx,  a  sickle),  scythe- 
shaped;  slightly  curved  upward. 


Farinose  (Lat.  farina,  ground 
corn),  covered  with  a  white  or  yel- 
lowish powder. 

Fern  Allies,  28. 

Fern  Structure,  Literature  of, 
28. 

Ferns,  Artificial  Synopsis  of  genera 
of,  79.— Mode  of  growth,  2. — Time  of 
fruiting,  4. — Variation  in,  2. 

Ferruginous  (Lat./<rrr«>«,  iron), 
resembling  iron  rust. 

Fertilization,  21. 

Fibrill ose  (Lat.  fibra,  a  thread), 
formed  of  small  fibres. 

Filiform  (Lat.  filum,  a  thread, 
forma,  form),  thread-like. 

Filix,  119;  also,  4,  5,  6,  1 6,  27,  80. 

Flabellate  (Lat.  Jlabellum,  a  fan), 
fan-shaped;  broad  and  rounded  at 
the  summit  and  narrow  at  the  base. 

Flaccid  (Lat.  flaccus,  flabby),  soft 
and  weak. 

Floating-fern.  Vide  Cera- 
topteris. 

Flowering-fern.  Vide  Os- 
munda. 

FoliaceOUS  (Lat.  folium,  a  leaf), 
having  the  nature  of  a  leaf. 

Fovea  (Lat.  a  small  pit),  the  depres- 
sion in  the  leaf  of  Isoetes  containing 
the  sporangium. 

Frond  (Lat.  frons,  a  leafy  bough), 
that  which  answers  to  the  leaf  in 
ferns,  8,  26. 

Fructification  of  Ferns,  10;  of 
OPHIOGLOSSACE.B,  30;  of  Equisetum, 
33;  of  Club-mosses,  35;  of  Isoetes,  38; 
of  Marsilia,  39;  of  Pilularia,  39;  of 
Asolla,  39;  of  Salvinia,  40. 

Fulvous  (Lat.  fulvus,  reddish-yel- 
low), tawny. 
Fungi,  56- 


Genera,  45- 
Generic  Names,  47- 
Geographic  Distribution,  60. 
Geologic  Distribution,  61. 


154 


GLOSSARY  AND    INDEX. 


Germination  of  Ferns,  19;  of 
OPHIOGLOSSACEJE,  30;  of  Equisetum, 
33;  of  Club-mosses,  36;  of  Isoetes,  38; 
of  Marsilea,  40. — Literature  of,  23. 

Glabrous  (Lat.  glaber,  smooth), 
smooth. 

Glanduliferous  (Lat.  glandula,  a 
little  kernel,  znAferre,  to  bear),  fur- 
nished with  giands. 

Glaucous  (Gr.  y\avKos,  sea-green), 
covered  with  a  bloom  like  a  plum. 

Globose,  spherical  in  form  or 
nearly  so. 

Goethe  on  species,  44. 

Gold-fern.  Vide  Gymno- 
pteris. 

Grape -fern.  Vide  Eotry- 
chium. 

Ground-pine,  Ground-fir, 
etc.  Vide  Lycopodium. 

Gymnogramme.  ride  Gym- 
nopteris. 

Gymnopterls,  84;  also  3,  9,  13,  41, 

79- 


H 


Hartford-fern.  Vide  Lygo- 
dium. 

Hart's-tongue.  Vide  Phyl- 
litis. 

Hastate  (Lat.  hasta,  a  spear),  fur- 
nished with  spreading  lobes  on  each 
side  at  the  base. 

Hepaticae,  57. 

Herbaceous  (Lat.  herba,  an  herb), 
having  the  texture  of  common  herb- 
age. 

Heterosporous  (Gr.  «-ep<w,other, 
and  <r»ropof,  a  seed),  producing  two 
kinds  of  spores,  as  in  Selaginella, 
Marsilea,  etc. 

Histology  (Gr.  KTTOS,  web,  tissue, 
and  Aoyos,  a  discourse),  the  study  of 
the  microscopic  characters  of  the  tis- 
sues of  plants  and  animals. 

Holly-fern.  fYdVPolystichum. 

Horsetail.     I'ide  Equisetum. 

Hymenophyllaceae,  11,26,74. 


I 

Imbricate  (Lat.  imbrex,  A  hollow 
tile),  breaking  joints  like  slates  or 
shingles. 

Indusium  (plu.  indutia),  (Lat.  in- 
duere,  to  clothe),  the  membranous 
covering  of  the  sporangia  in  many 
species  of  ferns. 

Inferior,  attached  below;  said  of  an 
indusium  below  the  sporangia  as  in 

tvcadsia. 

Intramarginal  (Lat.  intra,  with- 
in, and  marge,  a.  border),  near  the 
margin. 

Involucre  (Lat.  involrere,  to  wrap 
up),  the  indusium. 

Isoetaceae,  142;  315037. — Literature 
of.  38. 

Isoetes,  142 ;  also  37,  3s. 

Isosporous  (Gr.  Iffos,  equal,  and 
o-iropof,  a  seed),  producing  spores  of 
one  kind. 


Lace-fern.  Vide  Cheilanthes. 

Lacinia  (plu.  lacinite)  (Lat.  the  lap 
pet  of  a  garment),  a  long  narrow  lobe. 

Lady-fern.     Vide  Asplenium. 

Lanceolate  (Lat.  lani-eola,  a  little 
spear),  lance-shaped. 

Lepidodendraceae,  63. 

Lichens,  55. 

Ligula  (Lat.  a  strap),  a  triangular  or 
somewhat  elongate  stipule-like  organ 
of  the  leaf  in  Isoetes,  situated  abovt 
the  sporangium. 

Linear  (Lat.  linea,  a  line),  long  and 
narrow. 

Linnaeus,  definition  of  species,  41.— 
System  of,  47. 

Lip-fern.    Vide  Cheilanthes. 

Lobule  (Lat.  lobulus.  diminutive  of 
lobus.  a  lobe),  a  small  lobe. 

Lomaria.  Vide  Struthiopteris. 

Lunate  (Lat.  ///«,«.  the  moon),  cres- 
cent-shaped. 

Lunulate  (La',  lunula,  diminutive 
of  tuna,  the  moon),  smaller  than 
lunate. 


GLOSSARY  AXD    INDEX. 


155 


Lycopodiaceae,    13° ;  also  34-— 

Literature  of,  37. 

Lycopodium,  130;  also  34,  35,  36. 
Lygodium,  75;  also  4,  17- 

M 

Macr  O-  (Gr.  M««P<>S,  long),  (as  a  pre- 
fix) large  or  long. 

Maidenhair,     ride  Adiantum. 

Male-fern.    Vide  Dryopteris. 

Marattiaceae,  45. 

Marsilea,  123;  also  39,  40. 

Marsileaceae,  123  ;  also  39.— Liter- 
ature of,  40. 

Matteuccia,  120;  also  17, 50,  80. 

Mesozoic  Age,  Pteridophytes  of, 
63. 

Micro-  (Gr.  /iiKpos,  small),  (as  a  pre- 
fix), small. 

Midvein,  the  middle  or  main  vein  of 
a  frond,  pinna,  pinnule,  or  segment. 

Mimicry,  3. 

Monoecious  (Gr.  novas,  single,  and 

female  organs  on  different  parts   of 

the  same  plant. 
Moonwort.      Vide    Botrychi- 

um. 
Mucronate    (Lat.    macro,  a  sharp 

point),  having  the  midvein  prolonged 

beyond  the  pinnule,  forming  a  sharp 

point. 
Musci  (mosses),  57. 

N 

r-'ephrodium.  V.  Dryopteris. 
Nephrolepis,  118;  also  6,  16,  80. 
Nomenclature,  4. 
Notholaena,   85;  also  6,  9,  13,  79. 


Oak-fern.  Fz^Phegopteris. 
Oblong,  from  two  to  four  times  as 

long  as  broad. 
Obovate    (Lat.    at,    reversed,   and 

ovum,  an  egg),  inverted  ovate. 
Onoclea,  120 ;  also  2,  3,  5,  10,  17,  80. 
Oosphere    (Gr.    <aov,    an  egg,  the 

female  element  of  Pteridophytes. 


Oospore  (Gr.  uov,  an  egg,  and 
<r7ropds,  a  seed),  the  fertilized  oo- 
sphere. 

Ophioglossaceae,  66;  also  28.— 

Literature  of,  31. 

Ophioglossum,  66;  also  6,  29,  30. 

Orbicular  (Lat.  orticulus,  diminu- 
tive of  orbis,  a  circle),  circular. 

Orders,  45. 

Ornithopteris,  76;  also  18. 

Osmunda,  77 ;  also 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 18, 19. 

Osmundaceas,  12,  79. 

Ostrich-fern.  Vide  Matteuc- 
cia. 

Ovate  (Lat.  ovum,  an  egg),  having 
the  form  of  the  longitudinal  plane  of 
an  egg  with  the  base  downward. 

Ovoid  (Lat.  ovum,  an  egg,  and  Gr. 
elSos,  form),  having  the  form  of  an 
egg. 


Paleaceous  (Lat.  palea,  chaff), 
clothed  with  chaffy  hairs. 

Palmate  (Lat.  palma,  the  hand), 
with  the  divisions  spreading  from  the 
end  of  the  stalk  like  the  ringers  of  the 
hand. 

Panicle  (Lat.  /««/<-»/«,  a  tuft  on 
plants),  an  open  cluster,  consisting 
of  more  or  less  branching  stems  bear- 
ing fruit. 

Papillose  (Lat.  papilla,  a  nipple), 
bearing  minute  nipple-like  projec- 
tions. 

Papyraceous  (Lat. papyrus,  paper 
reed),  having  the  texture  of  paper. 

Pedicel  (Lat.  pediculus,  diminutive 
of  pes,  foot),  the  stalk  of  a  sporan- 
gium. 

Pellaea,  97;  also  2,  3,  6,  i4,  80. 

Peltate  (Lat.  felta,  a  small  shield), 
shield-shape;  said  of  an  indusium 
borne  on  a  stalk  attached  at  its  centre. 

Pentagonal  (Gr.  jreVre,  five,  and 
yiavia,  angle),  having  five  sides. 

Petiole  (Lat./^//<7/«5,  diminutive  of 
pes,  foot),  the  stalk  of  a  pinna  or 
pinnule. 


1 56 


GLOSSARY  AND    INDEX. 


Phanerophlebia,  117;  also  16,  80. 
Phegopteris,  108;  also  5,  9,  16,  27, 

79- 

Phlebodium,  83;  also  ia,  79. 

Phyllitis,  107;  also  3,  6,15,19,26,81. 

Phymatodes,  83;  also  79. 

Pilose  (Lat.  pilus,  hairy),  covered 
with  soft  hairs. 

Pilularia,  124;  also  39. 

Pinna  (Lat.  a  feather),  the  primary 
division  of  a  compound  frond. 

Pinnate  (Lat. //»««,  a  feather),  hav- 
ing the  divisions  of  the  frond  ar- 
ranged on  the  two  sides  of  a  common 
rachis. 

Pinnatifid  (Lat.  finna,  a  feather 
and  findere,  to  cleave),  having  the 
sides  of  the  frond,  pinna,  or  pinnule 
cut  half-way  or  more  to  the  midvein. 

Pinnule  (Lat.  pinnula,  diminutive 
of  pinna,  a  feather),  the  secondary 
division  of  a  frond  twice  or  more 
compound. 

Polypodiaceae,  n,  78. 

Polypodium,  81,  also  6,  7,  10,  n, 

12,    79. 

Polystichum,  115 ;  also  16,  80. 

Pro-embryo,  the  thread-like  pro- 
longation between  the  germinating 
spore  and  the  prolhallium. 

Prothallium  (Lat.  pro,  previous 
to,  and  thallus,  a  young  shoot),  the 
sexual  generation  of  a  fern,  20. 

Psilotum,  139;  also  35. 

Pteridium,  91 ;  also  80. 

Pteridoid  (Gr.  wTe'pis,  fern,  and 
eZSos,  form),  fern-like  in  appearance. 

Pteridoid  Phase,  22. 

Pteridophytes  (Gr.  irrtpi*,  fern, 
and  4>vr6v,  a  plant,  65. 

Pteris,  90 ;  also  5, 13,  68,  80. 


Quadri-  (Lat.  guattuor,  four),  (as  a 
prefix)  four,  fourfold. 


Rachis  (Gr.  'paxi?,  the  spine),  the 
continuation  of  the  stipe  through  a 
compound  frond. 


Raphe  (Gr.  'pd<i>n,  a  seam  or  suture), 
the  ridge  which  connects  the  sporo- 
carp  with  its  stem  in  Marsilia. 

Rattlesnake-fern.  Vide  Bo- 
trychium. 

Receptacle  (Lat.  recipere,  to  re- 
ceive), the  part  to  which  the  sporan- 
gia are  attached,  especially  in  the 

HvMENOPHVI.LACEjE. 

Reniform  (Lat.  rents,  the  kidneys), 
kidney-shaped. 

Resurrection  -  plant.  ViJe 
Selaginella. 

Revolute  (Lat.  rerolvere,  to  roll 
back),  rolled  backward  ;  said  of  the 
margin  of  fronds. 

Rhizocarps.    Vide  Marsilea. 

Rhomboidal  (Gr.  'po^/Sos,  a  rhomb, 
and  eifios,  form),  approaching  a  rhomb 
in  shape. 

Rock-brake.  Vide  Crypto- 
gramma. 

Rock-moss.  Vide  Selagi- 
nella. 

Roots,  25 

Rootstock,  an  underground  stem, 
8. 

S 

Salvinia,  125  ;  also  39,  40. 

Salviniaceae,  125 ;  also  3y.— Litera- 
ture of,  40. 

Scandent  (Lat.  scandere,  to  climb), 
climbing. 

Schizaea,  76  ;  also  n,  18. 

Schizaeaceae,  n,  75- 

Scolopendrium.  Vide  Phyl- 
litis. 

Scouring-rush.  Vide  EquI- 
setum. 

Segment,  one  of  the  divisions  of  a 
pinnatifid  frond. 

Selaginella,  137;  315034,35,36. 

Selaginellaceae,  137 ;  also  34-— 
Literature  of,  37. 

Sensitive-fern,  ride  Ono- 
clea. 

Serrate  (Lat.  serra.  a  saw),  having 
the  margin  cut  into  teeth  pointing 
forward. 


GLOSSARY  AND    INDEX. 


157 


Sessile  (Lat.  set/ere,  to  sit),  without 

a  stalk  or  petiole. 
Setif  orm   (Lat.  seta,  a  bristle,  and 

for  mil.  form),  bristle-like. 
Shield-fern.    V.  Dryopteris. 
Sigillariaceae,  63. 

Sinuate  (Lat.  sinus,  a  bending), 
having  the  margin  alternately  bend- 
ing inward  and  outward. 

Sinus  (Lat.  a  bending),  a  recess  or 
bay  ;  the  re-entering  space  between 
two  lobes. 

Sorus  (plu.  tori)  (Gr.  o-upds,  a  heap 
or  cluster),  the  clusters  of  fruit  in  the 

POLYPODIACK^. 

Spatulate    (Lat.   spatula,  a  little 

spoon),  shaped  like  a  spatula. 
Species,  44- 
Specific  Names,  41. 
Spermaphytes    (Gr.    o^'pnia,   a 

seed,  and  4>\nov,  a  plant),  10,  20,  50. — 

Literature  of,  59. 
Spinulose    (Lat.    spinti,    a    thorn), 

thorny.  , 
Spleenwort.     Vide    Aspleni- 

um. 

Sporangium  (plu.  sporangia)  (Gr. 
o-jropos,  a  seed,  and  ayyos,  a  vessel), 
the  case  or  capsule  enclosing  the 
spores,  10. 

Spore  (Gr.  an-opos,  seed),  the  fruit 
of  the  higher  cryptogams,  produced 
asexually,  10,  18. 

Sporocarp  (Gr.  <nrop<k,  seed,  and 
»cap7ros,  fruit),  the  fruit- bearing  re- 
ceptacle in  Marsilia,  etc. 

Squamous  (Lat.  squama,  a  scale), 
with  appressed  scales. 

Stellate  (Lat.  stella,  a  star),  star- 
shaped. 

Stipe  (Lat.  stipes,  a  stock),  the  stem 
of  a  frond,  8,  25. 

Stoma  (plu.  stomata)  (Gr.  a  mouth), 
the  breathing  pores  of  plants,  26,  33. 

Stramineous  (Lat.  stramen, 
straw),  straw-colored. 

Struthiopteris,  101 ;  also  2, 14, 81. 

Sub-  (as  a  prefix),  about,  nearly, 
somewhat. 


Subulate     (Lat.    subula,    a    shoe 

maker's  awl),  awl-shaped. 
Superior,  higher,  applied  toindusia 

that  are  attached  above  the  sorus  as 

in  Dryopteris. 

Synonymy,  44- 


Taenitis.  Vide  Cheilogram- 
ma. 

Tectaria,  118;  also  16,  80. 

Ternate  (Lat.  term',  three  each), 
branching  into  three  nearly  equal  di- 
visions. 

Tertiary  Age,  Pieridophytes  of, 
63- 

Thallophytes  (Gr.  floAAos,  a  young 
shoot,  and  <f>vrov,  a  plant),  a  group  of 
plants  including  the  lichens,  fungi, 
and  algae,  50. 

Thalloid  (Gr.  flaAAos,  a  young  shoot, 
and  eZSos,  form),  having  the  form  of  a 
thallus,  i.  e.,  no  leafy  axis. 

Thalloid  Phase,  19. 

Tissues,  24. 

Tissue  Systems,  25. 

TomentOSe  (Lat.  tomentum,  a 
stuffing  of  wool),  covered  with  mat- 
ted woolly  hairs. 

Tomentum  (Lat.  a  stuffing  of 
wool),  the  dense  matted  woolly  hair 
found  on  some  ferns  as  many  species 
of  Cheilanthes. 

Tri-  (Lat.  iris,  three),  (as  a  prefix) 
three,  thrice. 

Trichomanes,  74;  also  6,  n,  17. 

Trichomes  (Gr.  flpi'f,  hair),  hairs, 
variously  modified  as  scales,  indusia, 
sporangia,  etc.,  produced  from  the 
epidermal  cells,  26. 

Triquetrous  (Lat.  triyuetrus), 
three-angled. 

Truncate  (Lat.  truncare,  to  cut 
short),  cut  off  abruptly. 

Tufted,  growing  in  clusters. 

U 

Undulate  (Lat.  undula,\a.  little 
wave),  wavy-margined. 


158 


GLOSSARY  AND    INDEX. 


Vallecuia  (plu.  vallecula\  the 
grooves  on  the  stems  of  Equisetum. 

Variation  among  species,  2. 

Varilties,  45. 

Vascular  (Lat.  vascvlum,  diminu- 
tive of  vas,  a  vessel),  containing  ves- 
sels, as  ducts,  etc. 

Velum  (Lat.  a  curtain),  the  membra- 
nous margin  of  the  fovea  in  Isoetes. 

Venation  (Lat.  vena,  a  vein),  the 
veining  of  the  frond,  10. 


Vernation  (Lat.  ver,  spring),  the 
arrangement  of  the  leaves  or  fronds 
in  the  bud,  29. 

Vittaria,  8y;  also  6,  13,  79. 


W. 


ride    Camp- 


Walking-leaf. 

tosorus. 

Water-fern,     ride  Marsilea. 
Wood-fern.  I'ide  Dryopteris. 
Woodsia,  119;  also  6,  n,  17,  43,  79. 
Woodwardia,   102  ;   also  2,  5,  10, 

15,  81. 


MOULDS,    MILDEWS,    AND 
MUSHROOMS 

By  Professor  LUCIEN  M.  UNDKRWOOD,  of  Co- 
lumbia. A  guide  to  the  Systematic  Study  of 
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are  really  valuable  as  specific  characters  among  the  fleshy 
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HENRY  HOLT  &  CO. 


"Should  find  a  place  in  every  college  and  public  library."  —  BOSTON  TRANSCRIPT. 

KERNER'S  NATURAL  HISTORY 
OF  PLANTS. 

Translated  by  Professor  F.  W.  OLIVER,  of  University  College, 
London.  A  work  for  reference  or  continuous  reading,  at  once 
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Cloth. 


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a  popular  work  on  the  phenomena  of 
vegetation  which  is  practically  without  any  rival.     The  German  edition  has  been  accepted 


. 
been  attained.     He  has  succeeded  in  constructing  a  popular  work  on  the  phenomena  of 


from  the  first  as  a  useful  treatise  for  the  instruction  of  the  public  ;  in  fact,  some  of  its  illus- 
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leave  little  to  be  desired,  and  might  well  find  a  place  in  every  public  museum  in  which 

and  almost  wholly  free  from  distracting  details  which  render  worthless  so  many  iflustra- 
tions  in  popular  works  on  natural  history.  Professor  Kerner's  style  in  German  is  seldom 
obscure  —  it  is  what  one  might  fairly  call  easy  reading;  but  it  i?  no  disparagement  to  him 
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and  its  adaptation  to  its  surroundings.  In  this  concluding  volume  he  considers  the  plant 
from  the  point  of  view  of  its  relation  toothers.  Therefore  he  begins  with  a  full  and  ab- 
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bring  those  not  professionally  interested  in  botany  to  some  realization  of  its  scope  and 
great  interest." 

Professor}.  E.  Humphrey  :  "  It  ought  to  sell  largely  here  to  colleges  and  public  libra- 
ries,  as  well  as  to  individuals,  and  I  can  heartily  commend  it." 

John  M.  Macfarlane.,  Professor  in  University  of  Pennsylvania  :  "  It  is  a  work  that 
deserves  a  wide  circulation." 

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botanical  lecture-room  ;  that  will  convert  the  Gradgrind  of  our  modern  laboratory  into  a 
student  of  nature." 

New  York  Times  :  "  A  magnificent  work,  with  its  careful  text  and  superb  illustrations 
The  whole  processof  plant  life  is  explained,  and  all  the  wonders  of  it." 

The  Critic  :  "  In  wonderfully  accurate  but  easily  comprehended  descriptions,  it  opet, 
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beauty.  Author,  translator,  illustrators,  publishers,  have  united  to  make  the  work  a 
success." 

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"^awi 


OF'CAIIFO^      ^.OF-0 

=     SUS\1   |(U 


n 


